White Wine

From Il Pastaio, Beverly Hills, California.

The low-fat mushroom ragout can also be served over toast points or as a side dish.

Here, turkey stands in for the traditional veal in a do-ahead entré. Have your butcher bone, roll and tie the turkey breast.

An impressive but easy dessert that's like a custard with fruit baked in it. In the summertime, make it with fresh peaches or plums instead of the pears.

Many dessert menus include a colorful sorbet plate-light and refreshing after a rich meal. Offer elegant cookies alongside. For the pink grapefruit sorbet recipe, we prefer Essencia, a dessert wine with the unique flavor of orange muscat grapes. It's made by Quady Vineyards in central California. If you cannot find it, use a Sauternes or a late-harvest Riesling.

This dish, a specialty of northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna, is named for the regions capital city. Although the meaty sauce is classically paired with tagliatelle (ribbon pasta just slightly wider than fettuccine), it also marries well with a variety of pasta shapes that trap the savory sauce.

From the Pepper Mill in Clearwater, Florida.

With its sweet taste and firm flesh, mahimahi lends itself well to poaching. Halibut, swordfish and salmon would also be good prepared this way. Serve glasses of chilled Sémillon or Chardonnay to go with the main course.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To round out the meal, present warm pita bread and a mixed green salad with the chicken. A chilled Marsanne or Chardonnay is nice alongside.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

As accompaniments to this great-tasting main course, serve the Risotto-Style Barley with Spring Greens, and pour glasses of chilled Pinot Grigio.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve these pastries as the first course of a special-occasion supper — maybe with a bottle of chilled Champagne.