Dairy

"When I had dinner with my son recently at Wild Abandon restaurant in Portland, our bread was served with a garlicky potato spread," says Pauline E. Dickey of Medford, Oregon. "It was a nice alternative to the usual butter or olive oil."

Nonfat yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise provide a creamy base for this dipping sauce for the artichokes. It's also great with asparagus, as well as with grilled tuna, salmon, chicken or flank steak. Begin making the sauce the day before serving since the yogurt needs to drain overnight.

This recipe is best made with fresh ricotta, which is very dry and flavorful. If you cannot find fresh ricotta, use 2 cups supermarket whole-milk ricotta and drain it (see below).

In the Today's Gourmet series, I wanted to create dishes that were elegant, modern, original, light, and reasonably quick to prepare. TV demanded that the dishes be visually attractive, too.... Partially drying the tomatoes in the oven concentrates their taste, giving them a wonderfully deep flavor and great chewiness. The red of the tomatoes, the white of the cheese, and the green of the basil make this dramatically colorful salad especially enticing. Serve with good crunchy bread.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Yogurt gives this dressing tang and lightens it a bit for the weight-conscious.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"We dine at the Meridian Café whenever we're in Louisville. The portobello mushroom sandwich is our favorite," say Libby and Roys Ellinas of La Grange, Kentucky. "It has a tangy, creamy sauce that we would love to know how to make." Prepare this sandwich with any favorite bread — crusty country bread or artisan-style rolls would be especially good.

The fennel seeds add a nice dimension to these tender scones.

Raita, an Indian yogurt dish used as a condiment, is often made with cucumber or tomatoes. This version features mango. Serve it with the Tandoori Chicken Salad or alongside grilled pork or fish.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Mocha Custards with Buttermilk Doughnuts .

The pink-peppercorn garnish gives this chilled soup a pretty spring look.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Simmering cobs in the corn-broth mixture gives the soup extra flavor.