Veal

Having relatives who live near Lansing, Illinois, gives Janice and Paul Abrinko a reason to visit that part of the country—and after trying the veal with Gorgonzola sauce and red cabbage at Cafe Borgia, they have one more reason to go.

This recipe originally accompanied Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetable Ragout.

Uncork your best Merlot with the veal.

Although the most authentic Swedish meatballs are not sauced, this creamy dill-and mustard-spiked dish is nevertheless hearty, comforting and flavored with ingredients popular in Swedish cooking. The meatballs are served over caraway noodles to capture every drop of the delectable sauce. Uncork a Chardonnay to go with the meal.

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Serve these hearty meatballs over noodles or mashed potatoes.

We like this stew with egg noodles (12 ounces of dried pasta), cooked and tossed with two tablespoons of reduced-fat sour cream and a quarter cup of chopped fresh dill.

The delicious sauce is also very nice with chicken and shellfish.

"My best cooking is done on Sundays during the fall and winter," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York, "when I become a football widow. The game doesn't appeal to me at all, so I happily escape to the kitchen while my husband, Angelo, roots for the Giants. Often I prepare a feast that includes meatballs and sauce, chicken cutlets, roasted peppers, hot bread, and crème brûlée. An afternoon of cooking can be very therapeutic after a busy week. And since Angelo is actually a bigger fan of my food than of football, I'm always shown plenty of appreciation."

Bettina says that this recipe is one of her delicious and dependable standbys.

Most self-respecting Italian-American cooks have a recipe for stuffed zucchini. It's a dish that's often hard to categorize, however. Is it an appetizer? A side dish? Can it function as a main course? This version, with veal, is a little heartier than most and can definitely be served as an entrée, but it can also function as a side dish or appetizer for a multicourse feast.

Here, meltingly rich veal shanks combine wonderfully with the chewiness of orecchiette, ear-shaped pasta shells made of semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat).

This hearty winter entrée can be prepared several days ahead. Veal brisket is the boned veal breast. If you don't have a roasting pan large enough to hold both briskets, divide the ingredients in half and bake in two pans. If the veal is difficult to find, substitute one 5-pound flat-cut beef brisket and roast until tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Leftovers freeze well and make great sandwiches.

"At a recent lunch at the Stage House Inn in Scotch Plains, I was served a braised veal shank," writes Max J. Kalm of Westfield, New Jersey. "This version was so much better than the ones I’ve prepared. Would chef David Drake be willing to share his recipe?" The restaurant serves this entrée with a vegetable risotto. Mashed potatoes would also be a good side dish for the veal shanks.