By Special Request...

Hi VT, I am a longtime subscriber and the mother of a young child. This past week, I chose four of your recipes and took my son to the market to pick up the ingredients. Trouble was, I wound up with a two-hour shopping trip to buy all the different ingredients and a restless toddler who just about tore off my arm!

My request: can you provide several recipes that share many of the same ingredients? This would be so convenient.

—Caroline Felix, Big Bear, Calif.

Dear Caroline,

The following recipes call for the same basic ingredients—plus a few easy-to-find or already-on-hand items. Give them a try, and let us know what you think.

—Mary Margaret Chappell, Food Editor