Chinese-Style Spicy Tofu with Pork
You can use medium or firm tofu, if you like, but the texture will be crumbly, closer to that of the pork, denying you the contrast between the soft tofu and the rough-textured pork.

Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream
Try this coffee-flavored ice cream with biscotti on the side, just as you would with the mocha almond cappuccino that inspired this treat.

Chocolate-Covered Hi-Hats
This old-fashioned bakery specialty is a chocolate cupcake with a large mound of soft marshmallow filling hidden under a coating of chocolate.

Grilled Chicken and Onion Skewers
This simple recipe is good with salt (shio yakiori) or with sauce (tare yakitori).

Panfried Dumplings
The dumplings are not difficult to make, but they are time-consuming to stuff and shape, so I recommend you make a whole lot (it is a great group activity!) and freeze them for a quick meal or appetizer.

Mussels in a Green Curry
Buy the freshest mussels possible - choose only those that are tightly closed and smell briny and like the ocean.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes
Individual upside-down cakes are a cute twist on an old favorite.

Shrimp Cakes with Ginger and Cilantro
These spicy shrimp cakes are a treat for shellfish lovers. It takes a little time to form and fry them, but it's well worth the effort.

Red Velvet Cake
Nobody knows for sure where this cake comes from, but lots of people agree with me that it is one magnificent cake.

French Silk
This fudgelike mousse cake pushes the opulence barometer right to the edge, stopping just short of excess.

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Garlic
Broccoli is a standby for me. It's available year-round, so it comes to the table in many guises. My favorite way to prepare it is to stir-fry it with garlic.

French Apple Tartlets
Although they may be reheated, they taste best still warm from the oven.

Lemon Squares
For easier cutting, let the bars sit for several hours after baking.

Sage-Roasted New Potatoes
In this easy-to-prepare recipe, new potatoes are first rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then roasted with whole sage clusters.

Glazed Meatloaf with Bacon Strips
A topping of a sweet, spicy glaze and crispy bacon slices sets this meatloaf apart.

Plum Wine Chocolate Truffles
Hand-formed truffles are easy to make if you are well organized and patient.

Coconut Ice Cream
Luxuriously sweet and rich, coconut ice cream tastes wonderful and takes only minutes to make.

Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini
Green curry gets its name from the profusion offresh hot green chilies fortifying the curry paste, rather than from the color of the finished curry.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Thais often serve satay with a side of toast points, the better to enjoy the fabulous peanut sauce.

Green Chile Chili
Three varieties of fresh chiles and beans, traditional New Mexican ingredients, are combined to make a hearty, flavorful chili.

Meatloaf with Horseradish Crumb Topping
A horseradish-bread crumb topping livens up this meatloaf and adds a zesty flavor.

Slow-Roasted Martini Short Ribs
Beef short ribs is a cut of meat that doesn't get as much play as it should on the home dinner table nowadays.

Chili & Lime Slow-Cooked Pork with Red Onion Escabeche and Warm Tortillas
This dish is also a primo appetizer: coarsely chop the cooked pork, pan-sear, then pile it on crisped mini tortillas.

Ginger Crème Brülée
It's amazing how different this classic custard can taste with just a few adjustments in ingredients.

Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream Ball
The mousse never freezes solid, but stays rich and velvety, adding a new dimension to an ice cream mold.

Salzburger Nockerls
The original recipe is said to be a couple hundred years old. In a delicious exception to tradition, preserves and chocolate curls here lend embellishment.

White Chocolate Soufflé with Raspberry Sauce
A ruby berry sauce gilds this snowy white soufflé for an eye-catching finish.

Red Pepper & Red Onion Frittata
Garlicky croutons add crunch to this decorative frittata for a great-tasting brunch or lunch dish.

Ciambella Mandorlata
A ciambella is a "ring cake," and throughout Italy the baked braided wreath is a symbol of the holiday season.

Mashed Potatoes with Carrots
A pretty, orange-flaked purée, this recipe has been popular with a Danish-American family for over a century.

Gingery Macadamia Truffle Brownies
Note that the brownies must be chilled before cutting; it's best to bake them one day in advance of serving.

Baked Stuffed Artichokes
In this recipe, the stuffing is forced in between the leaves, so that every bite contains some.

Pumpkin Spice Swirl
Pumpkins can be put away in a cool, dark space until needed for winter sustenance, or sliced and dried for even longer storage.

Cheese Blintzes
Blintzes remind me of French crepes, although they're Russian in origin. They can befitted with savory or sweet mixtures.

Roasted Rack of Venison with Port and Red Currant Sauce
Nowadays, unless you hunt, most of us eat farm-raised venison, which is not as gamy as some might expect yet still retains a pleasing, full flavor and tends to be nice and lean.

Roast Loin of Pork with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic
The beauty of this dish is that it is good both hot and, later in the week, sliced even thinner and served cool.

Chocolate-Wrapped Fudge Cake
This is one present where the wrappings are as good as the gift.

Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
Tasty pull-apart cinnamon rolls baked into a tree are an additional gift for your family on Christmas morning.

Devil's Food Layer Cake
The crumbs give the cake a dark, velvety look-a look borrowed from the blackout cake that was my favorite when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

Shortbread
Rice flour gives a bit more crunch, while cornstarch is the softest of all, making a particularly short and flaky cookie.

Halibut en Papillote
Great things come in small packages, especially when you cook en papillote, in parchment paper.

French Chocolate Macaroons
You'll love the textural contrast between the crisp cookies and the luscious creamy ganache filling.

Texas Caviar
My guests crack up when they figure out that what Texans call "caviar" is, in fact, black-eyed peas.

Mushroom, Pesto, And Hazelnut Lasagne
Although it has a lot of ingredients, it's quite easy: really just a matter of making an assemblage.

Marinated Lamb Kebabs with Chile-Yogurt Sauce, Couscous with Spiced Almonds, and Red Onion and Cucumber Salad
This is a menu you'll want to pull out when you entertain on those really hot evenings.

Iced Cucumber-Horseradish Soup
These flavorful pears are perfect far anyone who is looking for a low-fat, light dessert.

Poached Pears with Orange Sauce
At once frigid and fiery, this soup is for hard-core horseradish fiends-and only those who enjoy large intercranial explosions!

Apple-Carrot Slaw with Ginger-Mint Dressing
Invigorating, refreshing, and lusty in flavor, this Southeast Asian-style salad is very low in calories and fat yet very satisfying.

Eggplant Caponata Sauce
Just add tomato, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil to prepared caponata (a sweet-and-sour eggplant appetizer), and in no time flat you'll have a no-cook sauce that tastes like it was simmered for hours.

Shrimp Shao Mai
You will find these delicate, open-faced pleated dumplings on dim sum carts in southern China and in Chinese restaurants around the world.

Bourbon Pickled Apricots
Apricots' firm, almost dry texture makes them ideal for pickling, so if you buy enough you can preserve them for several weeks.

Beignets
These sweet, eggy French-style puffs drenched in confectioners' sugar are one of New Orleans' famous tourist attractions.

Swordfish Margarita with Papaya Salsa
This dish borrows the summery, lime-kissed flavor of a margarita to give swordfish a boost.

Brochettes of Smoked Salmon with Sweet Onions, Pineapple, and Curry Glaze
The perfect partner for this dish is fragrant steamed rice (either basmati or jasmine).

Sesame Sauce with Roasted Red Pepper
A lively blend of mostly Asian ingredients, accented with Italian roasted red peppers, creates a superb side dish or light lunch.

Smoked Salmon Maki Rolls with Cucumber and Wasabi Cream Cheese
A number of Japanese ingredients are used in this adaptation of the traditional sushi form.

Herb Garden Sauce
A bouquet of fresh herbs added to olive oil and garlic turns the simple into the sublime.

Smoked Salmon-Wrapped Asparagus with Black Sesame Seeds
This is a fun, healthful take on the traditional prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears.

Polenta Lasagna with Tomatoes and Peppers
This variation takes into account the inherent heaviness of polenta and lightens up the lasagna with a fluffy spinach filling and a bold pepper-tomato sauce.

Summer Noodles
At the Japanese table, the noodles, condiments, and flavoring sauce are served seperately so that each person may dollop and mix according to personal preference.

Boysenberry and Cardamom Toast Shortcakes
This dessert is very simple and homey, and I like the toast coated in butter and cardamom sugar much more than I do cinnamon toast.

Apple City Barbecue Sauce
If you must turn the ribs, do so as few times as possible to prevent the meat from drying out.

Tailgate Potato Salad
The sweet potatoes and butternut squash provided nutrition, while the tangy dressing and tart cranberries are refreshing.

Iced Espresso Floats with White Chocolate Ice Cream
Italians are as crazy for gelato as americans are for ice cream, and there are many italian dessert ideas that we can import to this country. Affogato - it translates as 'drowned' - is one of them.

Crab and Asparagus Soup
This lovely soup is a French colonial creation that showcases asparagus in a standard Chinese-style egg-flower soup.

Deviled Crab Dip
This richly satisfying, warm dip has a spicy bite, hence the description "deviled". A friend of mine calls it a "never-ending crab cake".

Sweet Miso-Marinated Fish
In essence, the fish offers pronounced flavors that balance perfectly against sweet notes, yielding a dish that is understated while being rich in flavor and texture.

Blood Orange, Shrimp, and Mango-Wasabi Ceviche
Serve it in a martini glass with chips, or in half a fresh coconut.

Sake-Steamed Clams with Ginger
An elegant start to a meal, sake and clams are a typical japanese pairing, but here a little butter is used to enrich the broth.

Citrus Fruit Salad with Asian Herb Broth
A blend of refreshing citrus fruits and pungent herbs, this salad in an herbal broth can be a pleasantly surprising and palate-lifting finale to any meal.

Shaved Raw Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette
A mandoline is the best way to shave the spears. If you don't have one, use a sharp chef's knife or a vegetable peeler.

Bacon and Cabbage
Second only to Irish stew, bacon and cabbage is one of Ireland's most traditional dishes.

Murphy's and Baileys Cheesecake
This inventive cheesecake is flavored with Murphy's, the famous Cork-brewed stout.

Maple and Black Raspberry Pancakes
While I call for black raspberries, you can make this with red or golden raspberries or any mixture of the three.

Cajun Macaroni and Cheese
Inspired on a recent trip to the bayou by the hearty jambalayas, zesty pickles, mustards, spices, and hot sauces (such as the legendary Tabasco), I've been whipping up this macaroni and cheese.

Grilled Whole Truffled Lobster with Cauliflower Gratin and Grilled Asparagus
I'm a truffle fanatic. And truffles go with lobster.

Strawberry Shortcakes d'Amour
We simply adore Strawberry Shortcakes d'Amour. Luscious red berries enveloped in their sweet juices, topped with snow-white clouds of whipped cream, all of it sandwiched between a heart-shaped biscuit and dusted with powdered sugar.

Eggs Benedict
Wonderful for Valentine's Day, Easter, Mothers Day, or any time you want to treat your sweetheart to breakfast in bed, eggs Benedict is a good old-fashioned splurge we all deserve every now and then.

Ravioli Hearts with Sage and Butter Sauce
Celestino is famous for his heart-shape ravioli. When he prepares them at special events, the crowds go wild. Make your own pasta using Celestino's recipe and your crowd will go wild too.

Ginger Crème Brûlée
When the culinary history of the late twentieth century is written, surely crème brûlée will emerge as one of our era's favorites. This version gets an added fillip from crystallized ginger, available at Asian markets, specialty stores, and many supermarkets.

Riesling Pears with Mascarpone and Almonds
If you are looking for a delicious, easy dessert with only a few well-chosen ingredients, this is it. Add speedy preparation to these qualities, and the result is a dessert you'll return to again and again, especially for dinner parties where you need to present something elegant with a minimum of fuss.

Artichokes with Minted Vegetable Broth
If you have been disappointed by bland pressure-cooked artichokes, as we have, this recipe is for you. The problem is solved by pressure-cooking the artichokes over a delicious broth, which adds much-needed flavor.

Duck Breast with Wild Mushrooms
Kosher ducks are easy to find in the freezer section of your kosher butcher shop or large supermarket. For this recipe, you need only the duck breasts.

Sweet-and-Sour Peppers with Almonds
The Sicilians inherited the technique of sweet-and-sour flavoring from the Saracens (Arabs), who invaded the island in the first century and stayed on for three hundred years.

Roasted Pork Loin with Cranberry-Ginger Chutney
Try serving the pork with a salad made of watercress, endive, and fresh oranges or sautéed shiitake mushrooms.

Champagne-Baked Oysters
with Braised Leeks and Truffle Cream

Christmas Soup

Modern Mini Fruitcakes

Squash with Fresh Ginger

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pavlova

Grilled Ratatouille

Nutty Roof Tiles (Tuiles)

Roast Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon

Yorkshire Pudding Puffs

Roast Turkey and Winter Vegetable Chowder

Rejuvenating Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Carmelized Sweet Potato Wedges

Tortilla and Lime Soup

Hazelnut Wafers with Cheese and Fruit

Raspberry Baked Alaska

Vegetables à la Grecque

Mushroom Caps with Basil-Pecan Stuffing

Salt-Roasted Pears with Camembert

Asparagus with Orange Essence and Almonds

Mussels and Prawns with Orange-Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette

Coconut Rice Pudding with Tropical Fruits

Portuguese Clams with Linguiça

Grand Aioli

Horseradish-Stuffed Pork Loin

Chilled Leeks with Green Olives, Capers, and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Gazpacho-to-go

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Flavored Butters

Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Summer Cream

Thyme Scented Mushrooms

White Chocolate Truffle and Raspberry Tart

Sautèed Scallops in Spiced Carrot Juice
In Morocco, carrot juice is popular as a refreshing summertime beverage. Cooks with juicers at home can make their own, or you can easily find fresh or bottled carrot juice at most natural foods stores and specialty shops like Dean & Deluca.

Asian Crudités
This crudités platter Is a welcome change from the standard carrot sticks and dip.

Shrimps, Mussels, and Tofu in Lemongrass-Miso Broth
Here is an elegant seafood stew impued with a profusion of asian flavors: lemongrass, thai red curry paste, cilantro, and miso.

Oven Puffed Pancakes
Known by the picturesque name Dutch babies, these showy, German classics are among my favorite breakfast treats for entertaining.

Steamed Lobster with Truffle Beurre Fondue
Lobster and black truffles are heavenly together, and many fine restaurants serve this wonderful combination.

Orange Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream
Light and airy angel food cake is a perfect summertime dessert, and when flavored with a little orange zest, its appeal is heightened.

Grilled Sesame Tofu
Even non-vegetarians won't miss the meat when served this intensely flavored tofu with a crispy crust.

Tajarin with Fresh White Truffle
Tajarin are the unforgettable fresh egg-yolk-rich noodles of the Piedmont region of Italy, the heart of white truffle country.

Saffron-Ginger Rice Cakes with Spicy Shrimp
This recipe will come together very quickly if you prepare the rice cakes a day ahead and buy your shrimp cooked and shelled.

Grilled Pork-and-Pineapple Kabobs with Scallions
While few gardens produce fresh pineapples, the duo of pork and pineapples is so good we could not resist these simple, grilled kabobs.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberry Compote
This is one of the more popular breakfast items at Vancouver's Diva Restaurant. Star chef Michael Noble confesses that he did not invent the recipe, but "borrowed" it from his mother.

Pacific Rim Risotto
Chunky bites of chicken and sausage combined with the creamy risotto make this a wonderful side when served with a simple green salad.

Walnut and Rosemary Flat Bread
This flavorful, light brown, pitalike bread looks almost like wheat bread because the dough is colored by groud walnuts.

Pasta with Pressed Purple Basil Leaves and Blossoms
Herb leaves and blossoms are easily pressed between two sheets of pasta to create a design that is beautiful and delivers a bouquet of flavor.

Classic Paella
There are numerous versions of Spain's paella, but for me the classic remains one laced with fish, shellfish, and spicy sausage.

Thai Red Curry with Kabocha Squash and Shrimp
You may not have come across this Thai curry before, but coconut and kabocha are a classic combination. I prefer to add shrimp, but a traditional addition is roasted duck.

Sweet Corn and Vegetable Chowder
This recipe proves a belief of mine. When you cook with ingredients that sound good in your head, they will taste good, too, I feel this way about vanilla and corn, which may seem like a strange pair, but once you try this combination, you'll like it.

Fresh Figs with Semolina Toast and Rhododendron Honey
When the honey and the figs collide, the flavor is fantastic. The bread does not have to be semolina bread; use sourdough or a country loaf instead, but make sure it has a good, dense texture when toasted.

Dark Rum and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Caramelizing the pineapple in rum adds a flavor that sends me right to the tropics! I like to serve this cake at Sunday afternoon get-togethers

Crab Spring Rolls with Sweet Garlic Sauce
Though they use the same kind of wrapper, Thai spring rolls are thinner than Chinese egg rolls and have a fliting with classic Southeast Asian ingredients such as bean thread noodles (also called sai fun, or cellophane noodles), shallots, cilantro, and fish sauce.

Scallop Seviche
It's easier than you think to make the connection between the incomparable Nantucket Bay, Scallops and the quintessential South American preparation for raw fish, seviche.

Cider-Soaked Baked Ham with Honey-Rum Glaze
Ham is usually best served at room temperature, and this one is no exception.

Sage-Grilled Chicken Souvlakia & Olives
The chicken is served on a cushion of bread crumbs gently sautèed with shallots, pine nuts, sage, and chives.

Pumpkin Soup
The pumpkin soup of Venice is a simple affair of purčed pumpkin cooked with milk.

Horseradish-Salmon Cakes on Wilted Greens
This is an excellent next-day use of the leftovers from a whole poached salmon.

Baked Three-Cheese Pasta with Pancetta
This sophisticated version of macaroni and cheese is slightly dressed-up comfort food at its best.

Scalloped Potatoes Layered with Anchovies
This makes an excellent accompaniment for roasts of all kinds and for game birds with character.

Rigatoni with Broccoli Sauce
My mother learned to make this dish when she lived in Rome as a girl.

Allspice Crusted Lamb Chops with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Cinnamon-Scented Lentils

Garlic Risotto with Baby Peas and Truffle Oil
Give me a little time, a glass of wine, and not too many ingredients, and I'll fix risotto.

Mussels with Black Beans and Flowering Garlic Chives
Black mussels are readily available in the Bay Area where I live - and cheap at that - but clams also work fine for this dish.

Poached Salmon with Cucumber, Dill, and Watercress Sauce
Poaching the salmon in a flavorful court bouillon gives it added taste, and decorating the fish and platter makes for an impressive presentation.

Mariner's-Style Clams
Clams from the Mediterranean are very small; many more than the two dozen littlenecks called for in this recipe would be used when making this dish in Rome

Medallions of Sesame & Coriander-Crusted Ahi Tuna with sesame scallion rice, wasabi cream, fried wontons & pickled ginger

Tiramisu Crêpe Soufflé with Coffee Crème Anglaise & Seasonal Fruit

Frozen Passion Fruit Mousse with Tropical Fruit, Passion Fruit Crème Anglaise, Fresh Raspberry Purée and Dried Fruit Chips

Pan Seared Striped Bass with preserved kumquat on parsnip potato puree with butternut squash custard

Santa Fe Chicken (from Cooking USA)
The following recipe was a 1989 winner at the National Chicken Cooking Contest.