Blender

Add a pleasing crunch to this velvety soup by topping it with plain croutons.

A simple and festive way to serve fresh bananas for dessert. Pipe extra meringue onto foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 250°F. until dry for some low-fat cookies.

Cemitas de Carne Enchilada A cemita is an oversize, slightly sweet, sesame seed bun that gives this Pueblan sandwich its name. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Tamarind seasoning paste Smoky, earthy, and with a sweet-and-sour tang, this recado is also delicious on pork, beef, and venison.

This luscious frozen dessert can be made without an ice cram maker. Begin preparing the recipe at least one day ahead.

Toasted coriander seeds and radishes give this salad — a twist on the classic frisée aux lardons — an appealing spiciness. In typical French fashion, the salad is served after the main course and before dessert. Accompany this with fougasse, a large Provençal flatbread, or other French bread.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A yellow pepper purée gives these egg white omelets color and tenderness without adding fat.

"Many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast. It's nice that the dishes I learned as a girl are enduring favorites in my own family. I still make the carrot and rice soup for my daughter Eileen." A colorful soup that's smooth and rich.