Food Processor

This smooth and creamy chiffon pie is utterly dependent on the fruit; be choosy and select only perfectly ripe, aromatic nectarines to produce the ambrosial flavor you're after.

This is an unusual use for pistou, a Provençal variant of pesto made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt. It's normally stirred into simple vegetable soups to give them some oomph, but it brings the same lively savoriness to green beans, contrasting nicely with their buttery quality. Don't worry about being knocked over by raw onions on top of all the other strong flavors-soaking them in cold water for 15 minutes removes some of their pungency while preserving their crunch.

The beauty of this bread is in its simplicity—mixing, kneading, even part of the rising are all done in a food processor. The end result is like a warm, crusty slice of Paris.

Yuquitas a la Huancaína
Think of this as the Peruvian answer to fries and ketchup. While huancaína sauce is usually served over sliced potatoes with boiled eggs and olives, Guillermo Payet finds it a great accompaniment to fried yuca, the potato-like root vegetable.

Serve this creamy, chilled soup as a refreshing first course.

Buckles are aptly named: Fruit is baked along with a layer of cake batter that rises to the top, buckling as it cooks. Don't skimp on the garnish: Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream is great with this.

There's depth, subtlety, and just the right amount of heat here. Start preparing this dish one day ahead since the chicken needs to marinate overnight.

These delicate, lightly spiced cupcakes are reminiscent of carrot cake. Grated zucchini makes them exceptionally moist.

Shortcakes are biscuit-like cakes that have more butter (or shortening) than many other types of cake. In fact, pastry chefs often describe especially buttery doughs as "short."

Brandi Neuwirth of Cary, North Carolina, writes: "My family and I moved here from Los Angeles last year, and my new surroundings have really influenced my cooking. There's a great farmers' market nearby where I get lots of local ingredients. The produce there inspired me to create this dish, which is a real taste of the South." These pretty ice cubes are great in lemonade and summer cocktails.

Fleur de sel and edible gold dust are sophisticated touches.

Clafouti is a rustic, simple French dessert that's a cross between a pancake and a custard. You can use other fruits, but cherries are traditional — and this is the month they're at their best.

Harissa, a spicy North African chili-garlic condiment, can be found at some specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets. But it is very easy to make, too, as in this recipe.

Greek cuisine is famed for its appetizer dips — no meze party would be complete without at least one.

Packed with peanuts and spiked with Thai curry paste, this chunky sauce nearly explodes with flavor and spice. Placed near the chicken satés or the crab-and-pork spring rolls, a bowl of it will quickly disappear.

Galatopita, or milk pie, has a crisp phyllo crust and a dense, satisfying custard filling made with semolina flour. It is among the dairy specialties of Epirus and Thessaly; we like this version from Ioannina.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.