If one pasta dish exemplifies the complexity of pan sauce precision, it's cacio e pepe (literally, cheese and pepper). The minimalist recipe calls for only a few ingredients and doesn't even include garlic....
There's something special about lobster you've prepared yourself, but if cooking one on a weeknight isn't your speed, buy cooked lobster or shrimp instead.
"I literally didn't know how to boil an egg until I was in my 20's - when I tried to impress a guy by making dinner for him," writes Sally Siegel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I didn't have much success...
A spicy pepper coating and an Asian-style sauce give these tuna steaks an intense flavor. Joan serves mashed or oven-roasted sweet potatoes alongside. Look for the sesame oil in the Asian foods section...
Toss chopped endive, radicchio, fennel and roasted bell peppers with oil and vinegar for a pretty salad course. For the finale, offer poached pears drizzled with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with crushed...