Rice & Grains

These are great with maple syrup, honey, marmalade, or even cottage cheese.

"During a recent business trip to Birmingham, Alabama, I had dinner at the Hot and Hot Fish Club," writes Shelia Murray of Paradise, California. "Every bite of chef Chris Hasting's shrimp and grits was packed with flavor. I'd love to prepare this stand-out dish at home."

Peperonata is a mixture of bell peppers, tomatoes and onion used in Italian cooking. Chef Joseph Simone of Tosca in Hingham, Massachusetts, suggests serving this quick adaptation of one of his meatless main dishes with a salad of baby greens, sliced fresh fennel and crumbled goat cheese in a simple vinaigrette. For dessert, have baked apples with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In place of the pasta commonly found in Italian bean soups we've used wheat berries — minimally processed whole grains — for the following recipe.

The sauce for this dish can also be served over chicken, or even shrimp or scallops.

Offer this hearty and satisfying salad with grilled lamb or tuna.

Servings: Makes 10 servings.

Serve roasted bell peppers and olives before this hearty entrée. Spoon sliced and sugared strawberries over ricotta cheesecake to complete the meal.

Round out the menu with sliced radicchio, fennel and roasted bell pepper salad; crisp flatbread; and apricot sorbet with cookies.

Farro, an old-world wheat variety, has taken today's Tuscan cooking by storm. It has been cultivated in the Garfagnana — an area of forests in northern Tuscany — for millennia. Traditionally, the grain was used to make soups and porridge; now it's a part of any number of dishes, including risotto, where it replaces the rice, and salads like this one. If you cannot find farro, use wheat berries.

This three-in-one dish (chicken, rice, and soup) originated in Hainan, a tropical island off China's southern coast, and has become a culinary staple in Malaysian culture.

If rice pudding is getting a little too comfortable, try our version with fresh pineapple, mango, and papaya. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

This homey soup was inspired by a recipe from Maria, the nanny for Patrick's family. She served warm corn tortillas alongside.

In Cuba, this versatile side dish is known as congrí. Louisiana has its own version of red beans and rice, of course, but in that one you won't find the oregano, cumin or cilantro.