One-Pot Meals

Soupe au Pistou During Marion Cunningham’s last visit with Richard Olney, he made a version of this recipe, which comes from Simple French Food. As he made it, he told her that he thought the trick to cooking is tasting — in the case of the soup that day, adding the right amount of salt and pepper, then cheese, then a little olive oil, and finally some macaroni. After making the soup in our own kitchens, following the recipe from the book (it's highly adaptable to seasonal produce or the contents of your larder), we can understand why this recipe is so loved among Olney’s fans.

To most Americans, Ischia, off the coast of Naples, is relatively unknown. That's a shame, because for centuries this island's thermal springs have been luring savvy travelers for restorative dips; plus, the locals produce some of the best wine in the region. At La Pergola, a family-run inn located on a hill just outside of Forio, guests enjoy some of that homemade wine, along with artisanal jams and olive oil. La Pergola also serves one of the island's most popular dishes, rabbit cacciatore, or hunter's rabbit. Chicken may be substituted for rabbit in this hearty dish.

This soup, actually my mother's recipe, is traditionally served at Passover, but it's so good that my family likes to make it all year round. A little chicken stock goes into the matzo balls, and the rest makes up the soup base. You can also use canned chicken broth, but for the best-tasting and most authentic soup, we think nothing beats homemade chicken stock. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

An easy soup from Caffe Trinity in San Francisco.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Braised Chicken with Vinegar and Tarragon)

Leftovers of this moist and flavorful meat loaf make great sandwiches.

If you have cooked lamb, beef, or turkey on hand, use it instead of the chicken.

Suitable accompaniments to this risotto-like dish are crusty bread, an avocado and orange salad with a cilantro vinaigrette and, to top it off, coconut pie.

This fragrant stew is great over couscous.

Start with hearts of romaine topped with balsamic dressing and diced feta cheese, and pass whole grain bread. Have chocolate cupcakes afterward.

The word mash means mung bean in Farsi and Farsi-related languages like Azeri and Tajik, as well as in Turkic languages such as Uzbek and Uighur. The word kichiri is like the Hindi word kitchri, a name for rice dishes made by cooking rice together with other ingredients. (The British took the idea and the name and turned it into "kedgeree.") We like this satisfying meal-in-one stew we learned in Tajikistan. Potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes give variety of taste and texture to the main event, a spiced combination of mung beans (yellow dal) and long-grain rice. Mashkichiri is quick and easy to prepare once the mung beans have soaked, and all too easy to eat in large quantities when accompanied by plenty of yogurt. Serve it as a simple meal in one, or serve with kebabs and a side dish of something crunchy, like sliced cucumbers or radishes, or Persian pickled radish. The winter version of this dish would have no tomatoes, and would use more carrots and onions instead. Winters in Central Asia are harsh, and there are few fresh vegetables to be had. Root vegetables, which can be stored and used when other vegetables are available, aren't an important part of the winter diet.

The new stir-fry oil accented with garlic, ginger and sesame is a terrific way to season main courses. Use fresh vegetables (the cut-up ones at the salad bar work well) or frozen. Rice and watercress salad are fine accompaniments. Drizzle sliced fresh mango and pineapple with honey for a suitable finish.

Parsnips, carrots, leeks and baby potatoes complement the chicken in this appealing one-dish supper. It's fun to begin the meal with a good old-fashioned relish tray--we like carrot and celery sticks, radishes and sweet pickles--and to end with a fresh fruit pie. Uncork a distinctive Sauvignon Blanc.