Jeanne Thiel Kelley

You can use red beets if golden beets are unavailable, but your pasta will turn pink.

Chimichurri, the traditional accompaniment for steak in Argentina, is an olive oil-based sauce with vinegar, parsley, and other seasonings. In Argentina, cattle are grass-fed, and the vinegary relish complements the herbal beef beautifully. The meat is very lean, so it's best rare.

Roasted root vegetables and spicy greens complete the meal.

Bison meat is very lean and is best served rare or medium-rare.

The beans need to soak overnight.

These sandwiches are portable and keep well in a lunch box. The hummus should be thick for the sandwiches, but if you want to enjoy the leftovers as a dip, thin slightly with a little extra olive oil.

The reduction can stand in for some of the beef stock in French onion soup, pot roast, and beef stew, where it will add flavor and richness.

The softly fried eggs are a wonderful counterbalance to the rich ingredients in this Spanish take on salade lyonnaise. Migas are Spanish croutons.

Fresh ricotta brings out the eggs' creaminess.

This classic French dessert relies on eggs for its pool of rich custard and its islands of soft meringue. In this easy and updated version, the meringue is baked instead of poached, and the custard is enhanced with lemon and a scattering of raspberries.

Eggs become a silky, creamy sauce when they're tossed with hot pasta. Here, leeks add a nice spring touch to the traditional Roman dish.

Four ingredients yield amazing flavor in this clever side. The secret? Caramelizing the shallots, which adds an appealing sweetness to the mashed potatoes.

Ask your butcher for the chateaubriand (the thicker end) of the fillet, and have him trim it for you. Rub the salt mixture on the beef at least one day and up to three days ahead. Steamed or roasted asparagus spears are the perfect accompaniment to this elegant meal.

Simple to prepare but impressive when served, this is spring elegance at its best. The salad is shown with purple watercress, a beautiful, rare variety you might find at farmers' markets. Green watercress works great, too.

Set out all of the components of this fun and delicious dish and allow guests to add their own toppings. Because the chili is meatless, the vegetarians in the crowd can also enjoy this meal by simply omitting the crispy cubed-pork topping.