Saute

French and fantastique, this will become a real favorite.

This meal is a combo of two favorite preparations: francese and piccata. Francese are egg-battered cutlets or fillets, and piccata are simply flour-dredged or plain cutlets or fillets sautéed with lemon and wine. I was never good at making decisions, especially regarding dinner, so I made up this two-for-one dinner. Serve with wilted fresh spinach or green salad.

Serve with a green salad.

This is a pizza I discovered on a trip to Rome as I wandered the side streets with my mom. It became such a favorite of mine that, on a return trip I made in the cold late fall, I think I ate hot, half-kilo blocks of it every day for a week. This is my at-home version. I love the feeling of giant slices of this hanging from my mouth. It really brings me back to Roman Holidays.

This one is fun for kids, like me. Serve as is, or accompany with black beans or refried beans and plain or flavored rice, prepared according to the package directions.

Serve with tomato salad.

Serve with buttered and parslied orzo or small potatoes or with lots of crusty bread.

Serve with a green salad.

A pretty basic version to get you started.

Serve with steamed asparagus, snap peas, or green beans.

Serve these with olive oil and herb potato chips, available on the snack aisle of the market.