Dairy

In a large menu, the salad is often served after a number of hearty dishes, so the portions are scaled down. For a smaller meal, this amount would serve 4 to 5 hearty salad eaters.

To cut down on prep time, use cooked lobster meat, available in some fish markets and supermarkets, or follow the directions below for cooking frozen lobster tails.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 35 min

These pork chops go well with rice with julienned carrots .

Pick up grilled zucchini and fresh figs from a specialty market to round out the meal.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

This easy-to-make dessert tastes like pumpkin spice cake and apple crisp baked together.

From Lidia's in Kansas City, an informal company dish that's sure to satisfy.

Offer these as a starter or as a light lunch with a salad of greens tossed in vinaigrette.

"I literally didn't know how to boil an egg until I was in my 20's — when I tried to impress a guy by making dinner for him," writes Sally Siegel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I didn't have much success with the dinner or the guy, but I regrouped and put together a repertoire of fairly elegant dishes I felt confident making. Over the years, my cooking style has become more casual; I make dishes that are not too demanding, but still special for company."

Serve Champagne to add an elegant, light touch to this terrific brunch menu.

This crowd-pleasing dip is a natural with potato chips and good with crudités, too.

Pink grapefruit can be used if you can't find the blood oranges.

To impart smoky flavor to food when using an outdoor gas grill, add a handful of wood chips (soaked in cold water 30 minutes and drained) to a smoker box and place it under the grates and on top of ceramic briquettes in the far right or left corner of the grill.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 40 min

You can substitute skinless boneless chicken breasts for the veal cutlets. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 35 min