Rice

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Although lamb is not commonly found in Chinese dishes, Hong Kong restaurants reach out to explore every nuance of Asian cuisine. Lamb is popular with the nomads of Mongolia and Manchuria; they would most likely cook the meat in a firepot. Here it's used in a more delicate stir-fry.

Because it's often the first dessert a child is allowed to eat, rice pudding can conjure up wonderful memories, which may be why it continues to be a favorite of a lot of grown-ups. Pure maple syrup sweetens the pudding, which develops a smooth golden topping as it bakes.

Shrimp, corn and rice combine in a quick and satisfying one-dish meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Smoky vegetables, corn and brown rice are dressed with citrus vinaigrette.

Some soups genuinely do inspire a devotion akin to love, and this is one of them. In the cold of winter, when Gourmet editors ponder the matter of what soup to cook up in a steamy Saturday morning kitchen to provide comfort all weekend long, they decide with remarkable frequency to make the following one. Those in the know also add about a pound of smoked sausage; even the best can be made better.