Rice

Start this romantic supper with Russian caviar and ice-cold lemon vodka. The main course is a simplified but impressive interpretation of the Russian fish pie known as kulebiaka, which the French call coulibiac. Offer Champagne with the entrée, and finish the meal with babas au rhum from a French bakery to complete the cross-European elegance.

Popular in the Italian kitchen for eons, risotto and wild mushrooms were embraced in the nineties by American home cooks and restaurant chefs alike. Offer this delicious version as a starter or a main course.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Here’s a quick and satisfying starter.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For good Nasi Goreng, the rice should be cooked 2-3 hours before it is fried, so that it has time to become cold.

A colorful, aromatic rice that is good with the Spicy Lamb Stew with Apricots and Cardamom, or with broiled chicken, fish or vegetables.

A radicchio and fennel salad with red wine vinaigrette adds color and crunch, and warm focaccia rounds out the entrée. End the meal with poached pears and biscotti.

Here's a delicious recipe from chef Edwin Goto at The Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. In an homage to spring, the rich-tasting risotto is served on a bed of oven-roasted asparagus.

Skillet cakes make from grains are popular at reatautants across the country. This recipe has a great do-ahead hint - the cakes can be prepared hours before they're cooked. And they are a good way to use leftover risotto.

This recipe was created to accompany Crown Roast of Lamb . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This very typical Lao dish may also be made with fish, pork, beef, or, in Southeast Asian tradition, water buffalo meat. While laap is often made with raw meat or fish, our chicken-based rendition is stir-fried, as it was when Lao cooks served it to us. A powder made from toasted glutinous rice subtly flavors the dish.

In this classic French dish, a veal roast is sliced and layered with a combination of soubise (onion) and duxelles (mushroom) stuffings, then put back together in the shape of the roast. Traditionally, it's covered with more stuffing and heavily coated with a Mornay sauce (which glazes the roast as it's heated in the oven). In our updated version, we keep the soubise and duxelles separate and arrange them side by side — black contrasting with white — on each veal slice, so the stuffings are visible. We use only a very thin coating of Mornay to glaze the dish, and serve the rest on the side.

Servings: Makes 10 servings.

A Dijon mustard vinaigrette brings all the flavors together. If you can't find basmati rice, white long-grain rice is fine.