Cheese

Avoid the temptation to add too many toppings; a pizza should be more bread than topping. In fact, the basic dough in this recipe may be used to prepare a delicious grilled bread as well as the base for pizza. Shape the dough as you would for individual pizzas, and then grill it over hot coals for about 2 minutes on each side, until it is blistered and browned. After the dough is turned, drizzle with olive oil and scatter it with fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, or rosemary.

Cut the bread into cubes to offer with aperitifs, or serve it cut into strips with a salad. It tastes best the day it's made. The day after, try it toasted and topped with butter. For best texture, make sure the dried pears you use are plump and moist.

Simple and sophisticated.

These savory tartlets are similar to quiches.

To make this appetizer easy to nibble, serve the cheese and mushrooms with toothpicks.

The cheese filling is spooned over red grapes—not a crust— and the fruit becomes its crowning glory.

This satisfying vegetarian combo—a black-eyed-pea salad with tomatoes; orzo tossed with olives, red onion, and cucumber; and salty crumbles of feta cheese—sings of the Aegean sun.

Who says main dishes have to be conventional? Here, prosciutto moves aside to put the cheese front and center, and an array of antipasto staples frame the crisp, gooey fried mozzarella. An aromatic anchovy vinaigrette ties it all together.

Attention, dill: Please step away from the salmon. Here, the herb gets to show its versatility—and its Greek side.

Fresh ricotta is sold in cheese shops and specialty delis.

Easy, sophisticated, and make-ahead friendly, this is just the cake for your Memorial Day gathering.

Here's a great recipe for a large group, as it can be made in quantity without much fuss. This berry tiramisù has become one of my favorite ways to show off the fresh berries of the season. If you wish, serve sliced strawberries or a compote of blueberries and raspberries on the side.

Ripe juices from plump late-summer tomatoes permeate this quick, flavorful pasta—and make you wish it could be August all year long.

Two American classics in one dessert: A rich milk chocolate cheesecake sandwiched between a buttery graham cracker crust and a fluffy marshmallow topping.

The all-American cheeseburger gets a makeover, courtesy of grilled onions, a spicy-smoky ketchup, and an English muffin "bun."