Food Processor

This would also be good on broiled sea bass or red snapper fillets.

It's a snap to make this delicious low-fat dessert-you don't even need an ice cream maker. The ice has a refreshing texture with an appealing crunch.

When we think of gazpacho most of us think of a cold chunky tomato-based soup. But this world-renowned export from the Andalucian region of Spain is actually one of many different types of soup — cold, hot, thin, red, green and white — which share the name gazpacho. White gazpacho remains closer than most modern varieties to the soup's origins as a simple combination of bread, nuts, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. Cucumbers, grapes and a pinch of cayenne elevate what was once a poor man's meal to a refined soup.

Salmon fillets can be substituted for the char. For a shortcut version of the horseradish cream, just mix 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream with prepared white horseradish to taste.

An inspired combination of flavors—the caraway is an unexpected addition to the crust.

Freshly grinding the cinnamon—in an electric coffee/spice grinder—takes this breakfast ring to the next level.

The free-form crust of this large, rectangular tart is easy to create, but be sure to leave enough of a border (1 to 1 1/2 inches) to fold the edges up over the fruit filling. To serve, cut into squares.

Involtini di Manzo Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Ellen Schwab, Bethesda, Md.
"I created this cookie, which combines my two favorite flavors — hazelnut and chocolate — just for this contest."

Here's a summer salad with robust flavors.

Sweet corn shows up at New York City's Mesa Grill in many guises, including, at meal's end, a memorable ice cream created by pastry chef Wayne H. Brachman. Our version of chef Brachman's dessert differs from the original only in texture (we opted for a smooth ice cream rather than a kernel-studded one).

This dip is also nice with raw vegetables.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Throughout Abraham Lincoln's political career, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, would periodically bake for him the Todd family's favorite cake, based on a recipe dating back to 1825. On first tasting it, Lincoln is reported to have said that this white almond cake was the "best I ever ate." That's high praise, but we've made a good thing even better by adding a coffee-cinnamon layer and drizzling the cake with a luscious coffee glaze.