Cabbage

The homey and hearty dishes of Louis Szathmáry—a splendidly mustached man who was the chef-owner of Chicago's well-known Hungarian restaurant The Bakery—are the inspiration for this dinner. Of course, chef Louis cooked using lots of butter and cream, but with just a touch of fat we've retained many of the same earthy flavors that he loved. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1‚ hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Piled high, this easy pizza delivers all the flavor of the deli sandwich it resembles. The best accompaniments are, of course, potato salad, coleslaw and pickles.

Ribollita In leaner times, this hearty soup provided a delicious way for Tuscans to use their leftovers: Ribollita means "reboiled," and the soup was always eaten two days in a row. Plus, it was poured into the bowl over a slice of stale bread, which we recommend that you do, too. Begin making it two days ahead, and don't leave out the final drizzle of olive oil.

When slicing the cabbage, try to go nice and thin. Toss with the dressing and let it rest before serving, so the vegetables will soften. The slaw becomes creamy then.

There is no dessert course in a traditional Japanese meal. Instead, pickles that refresh the palate are often the last thing eaten.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Hearty and filling, but so low-fat.

An Asian treatment of chestnuts that will be right at home with all your side dishes.

Buttermilk and blue cheese make this slaw rich and tangy.

An inspired mix of flavors.

Maude Emhoff, Stafford Springs, Conn.
Watch the heat carefully, lowering it as necessary. Do not let the casserole boil, or the pork ribs will toughen.

When we were children, shrimp dumplings were our favorite dim sum dish. The classic filling is shrimp and bamboo shoots. The dough is not difficult to make, but it is very important that the water be boiling hot. If it is not hot enough, the wheat starch will not cook and the dough will not work. Wheat starch _(dung fun)_is only available in Chinatown; regular white flour is not a substitute. The tortilla press used here is excellent for making the dough into thin, uniform rounds, but you can also make the dumplings by hand: Roll the dough into scant 1-inch balls. Place one ball between your lightly floured hands and press to form a circle. Press the dough evenly with your fingertips to make it as thin as possible, about 3 inches in diameter and a scant 1/8-inch thick.