Portobello Mushroom

Brushed with garlic oil, grilled over the fire and stacked onto crusty buns with plenty of burger trimmings, portobellos are this season's snazziest alternative sandwich filling.

Portobellos make this simple dish shine. It's from Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook written with Andrew Friedman (Broadway Books). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

These hearty mushrooms, from Il Radicchio in Washington, D.C., are a stellar start to the meal.

Serve buttered green beans with this, and uncork a chilled Viognier.

For ease of preparation, ask for the full round, not the short cut or partial leg, and have the butcher butterfly it for you.

What to drink: Gainey Vineyard 2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Limited Selection, Santa Ynez Valley, or another full-bodied, heavily oaked Sauvignon Blanc.

Cremini mushrooms or their mature form, portobellos—or both—can be used in this side dish from Cory Schreiber's new cookbook, Wildwood: Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest (Ten Speed Press).

Uncork a Cabernet Sauvignon or Burgundy to serve with dinner.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Dry-toasting the barley adds a nutty taste and helps the barley retain its texture in this excellent meatless dish.

Offer a small salad of baby greens with a shallot and tarragon vinaigrette.

"When I was staying at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto," writes Constance M. Shertzer of Indiana, Pennsylvania, "I discovered a fabulous restaurant there called Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro. The pasta with mushrooms and tomato sauce was as good as any I've ever had in Italy."

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This spicy pasta dish is a real treat for mushroom lovers. Use as many different varieties as you can find.

Peyton Hughes of Iowa City, Iowa, writes: "My extended family met for a reunion in Boston a few months ago. For our last night together, we decided it would be appropriate to have dinner at Finale. I'll never forget the unusual grilled portobello salad." Farro, or spelt, is a cereal grain that's been eaten in southern Europe for ages.