Food Processor

Healthy bonus: Fiber and potassium from mushrooms; fiber and iron from beans; folate from avocado; potassium from corn

In this recipe, the word biscuit refers to a savory cracker.

These moist, chewy cookies have an intense almond flavor. Barbara Bruno of New Portland, Maine, enjoys hers with a glass of chilled Champagne.

Erin Rutherford of Charlotte, North Carolina, writes: "This sauce was a hit with my supper club — I served it with filet mignon encrusted in black pepper, cumin, and sea salt, and it was killer. It would also pair well with swordfish."

English farmhouse-style white Cheddars such as Montgomery, Keen's, and Fiscalini were delicious in this pie. We also liked Grafton Cheddar, from Vermont.

This dessert has been the grand finale for every type of fancy dinner at Highlands, from museum balls we've catered to family Thanksgiving meals to nightly desserts. Buttery sweet potato filling, sweet coconut, and crunchy pecans combine with a dark rum crème anglaise to make a minor classic. This also pairs well with a cinnamon crème anglaise (see Variation).

Toasting the pecans before adding them to the filling deepens the flavors in the pie.

The sweet, creamy pulp of ripe Hachiya persimmons shines in a luscious dessert.

Hachiya persimmon puree flavors the pudding; using arborio (the starchy, short-grained risotto rice) gives it an especially tender, creamy texture.

Diane Brown Savahge of Los Angeles, California, writes: "I'm a part-time restaurant manager and food writer, and occasionally I teach cooking classes. One piece of advice I always share with my students is to keep the ingredients list short — you don't need to empty out your refrigerator to make a great meal. You just need a few quality ingredients with bold flavors."

Larry Leichtman of Phoenix, Arizona, writes: "Thirteen years ago, I sold my business in Los Angeles and moved to Phoenix. One of the first things my neighbors discovered about me was that I love to cook. We get together often, and I'm usually the one in the kitchen. Being the cook means never having to do the dishes." Serve with crackers or baguette rounds.