Steak

Melanie Riggs of Jackson, Mississippi, writes: "Last winter, I visited some friends in Minnesota. We had a fabulous meal at Redstone American Grill in Minnetonka, where I ordered an amazing steak with a blue- cheese-flavored crust." The Japanese-style breadcrumbs known as panko give the steaks a light, crispy crust.

You can also make these with chicken, ham or roast pork.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Start with mugs of tomato soup, then serve a tossed green salad with these open-face sandwiches. To wrap up such a straightforward Rocky Mountain-style dinner, put out giant sugar cookies, a basket of pears and a bowl of candied almonds. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chimichurri is a vibrant sauce of parsley and olive oil (with a little kick from red pepper flakes) that's traditionally served on grilled meats in Argentina. In this recipe, flank steak is marinated in the chimichurri, broiled, and then sliced and served on baguette slices with a dollop of the sauce. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

When accompanied by the delicious tang of chimichurri sauce, all this steak needs is to be seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled to the desired doneness.

This dish — rosy steaks smothered in mushrooms fragrant with a drizzle of truffle oil — is positively swoon-worthy. What to drink: A good Merlot, such as the 1999 Wente Crane Ridge Reserve.

Tradition dictates that these Florentine-style steaks be cooked over a grate in a fireplace, but this recipe translates very well to an American-style outdoor grill. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips from a wedge of Parmesan to make the cheese shavings. What to drink: Chianti Classico.

Lindsay McDougal of Corona, California, writes: "When my husband and I first moved to Southern California from a small town between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we were amazed by the variety of foods available. It's almost unfair to compare the two places, since there are so many different ethnic cuisines here. We've come to love Mexican and Italian cooking, but we still find ourselves yearning for the traditional Scottish recipes we grew up with, like Scotch eggs and meat and potato pies. They're hearty dishes and so easy to make. " A variation of the popular Scottish snack Forfar bridies, these meat-filled turnovers are similar to Cornish pasties. They make a great lunch, but also can be cut into wedges and served as an appetizer.

Serve with: French fries or potato chips, and steamed broccoli.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We served these steaks with the Roast Parsnips and Sautéed Broccoli Rabe .

If you've got a rosemary bush in your garden, now's the time to use it to make skewers. Or, to keep things simple, just use bamboo skewers (you'll need 60)—the kebabs will still look great.