Food Processor

You'll need an instant-read thermometer and a heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle attachment to make this brioche-like sweet bread.

The red portions of rhubarb stalks make the best-looking pie, so buy extra and trim as needed.

Joe Dion of North Charleston, South Carolina, writes: "Because I work in a restaurant (I'm a chef at a place called Slightly North of Broad in Charleston), I don't let my cooking at home get too complicated. I'm at the restaurant five days a week and often work on weekends, but whenever I have the chance I enjoy getting together with friends and cooking for them." This twist on the classic garlic mayonnaise is as simple as blending mayo and fresh ginger in a processor.

A nice brunch dish as well as a light supper. What to drink: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Charoset, a traditional Passover condiment, represents the mortar used by Israelite slaves in Egypt. In this contemporary Mexican version, bananas and other fruit are puréed and cooked down to a sweet spread. "Some people say that the banana was the original 'apple' of the Garden of Eden," says Mexican-Jewish food writer Lila Louli, who collaborated with chef Roberto Santibañez on his Passover recipes. "It's also a very common ingredient in Mexican cooking."

This recipe is a variation on mushy peas, a beloved British street food. Ours have a much brighter color and flavor, making them sophisticated enough for entertaining.

Inspired by Neapolitan ice cream, this pretty dessert layers cherry-studded chocolate ice cream with pistachio ice cream and raspberry sorbet. The press-in, no-bake crust is made with Italian amaretti cookies.

Joy Ackerman of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "After cooking for a family of six for years, I've become a pro at streamlining recipes and being organized in the kitchen. My children are now grown and out of the house, but that hasn't changed how I cook or shop. I still make a monthly menu plan, and often find myself cooking my kids' favorite dishes whenever they visit."

Stir any remaining pesto into steamed vegetables or couscous.

A platter of marinated chicken is always a popular buffet item, and I've been serving this at my parties for years. Choose cilantro, basil, or even parsley to fit your fancy or your guests' taste (I have cilantro-haters in my crowd, and you may, too). For the juiciest results, use bone-in, skin-on chicken. This marinade works well to protect skinless chicken from drying out — just reduce the baking time by a few minutes. Make Ahead: The chicken can be marinated 8 hours ahead. The chicken is best served just after baking.

This is my friend Paule Caillat's recipe, with its meltingly tender all-butter crust. Instructions for poaching fresh pears are included, but if you want to save time, do what Paule and other French women in a hurry do — use canned pear halves. Just drain the canned pears, dry them very well, and carry on.

A corkscrew shape gives these light cookies a new look.