Food Processor

"I recently took out-of-town guests to Zarela in Manhattan for an authentic Mexican meal," writes Kelly Sfarra of Hawthorne, New York. "Everything was fantastic, but the shrimp with chipotle chilies was especially memorable. Can you please get the recipe?" After a trip to Veracruz, Mexico, chef Zarela Martínez came up with this dish, which is called camarones enchipotlados at the restaurant. A bowl of rice and some warm corn tortillas would be great with the spicy, smoky shrimp.

A rich candy-bar-like dessert that can be made in stages, and even completed three days before a party. Fresh strawberries make a nice garnish.

We decided to use sweetened flaked coconut rather than fresh coconut for this recipe because it not only saves time but enhances the overall flavor of the dish, adding a touch of subtle sweetness. Soaking the basmati rice strengthens the grains to prevent the rice from breaking down during cooking.

If you're short on time, you can substitute bottled red curry paste (we recommend Mae Ploy brand) for homemade, but the flavor will not be as nuanced. There will be some curry paste left over after making the jungle curry and steamed catfish. Simply stir the remainder together with unsweetened coconut milk to give chicken, shrimp, or mussels a Thai spin. Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Use a Microplane grater or the smallest holes on a box grater to remove the lemon peel in thin, fine pieces. Any delicate buttery cookies — such as pirouettes, small shortbreads, or tender madeleines — would be delicious with the granita.

This pie crust is light, flaky tender and very crisp. It has a glorious butter flavor and is an ideal container for any pie or tart recipe. I strongly recommend commercial or homemade pastry flour, as it will result in a more tender crust than one made with all-purpose flour.

A different, easy way to enjoy ground beef.

In this classic French dish, a veal roast is sliced and layered with a combination of soubise (onion) and duxelles (mushroom) stuffings, then put back together in the shape of the roast. Traditionally, it's covered with more stuffing and heavily coated with a Mornay sauce (which glazes the roast as it's heated in the oven). In our updated version, we keep the soubise and duxelles separate and arrange them side by side — black contrasting with white — on each veal slice, so the stuffings are visible. We use only a very thin coating of Mornay to glaze the dish, and serve the rest on the side.

Offer toasted pita bread triangles or toasted baguette slices with this tangy dip. It's nice with raw vegetables, too.

Top off this easy-to-make dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the leg of lamb. Begin marinating one day ahead.

"There's a terrific place called Grand Central Cafe and Bakery in Portland, Oregon. I tried their Jammers, which are luscious buttermilk biscuits filled with jam," says Lori Stiffler of Butte, Montana. These home-style biscuits look like giant thumbprint cookies. Freezing the dry ingredients contributes to the biscuits' flakiness.

Buy a heavy coconut that has no cracks and that sounds full of liquid when shaken.

Our take on this soup is faithful to the classic flavors. Assorted marinated vegetables from the local Italian deli are nice to start, and wedges of almond cake with espresso are a great finish.

This dough can also be formed into crescent shapes and coated with confectioners' sugar while still warm, as is done in many eastern European countries.

We use this dressing with our Onion-Crusted Fried Chicken Salad, but it's great, too, as a dip with pieces of fried chicken, vegetables, or best of all, with fried frogs' legs. It's a real thick dressing that gets even thicker when chilled.