Lemon

Begin making this one day before serving.

I've always found lemon curd too sweet and heavy on its own. Folded into whipped cream, however, it makes a wonderful pie filling.

Serve with: Parslied new potatoes and a frisée salad with goat cheese. Dessert: Pineapple sorbet with sliced strawberries.

Flounder is a lean, thin fish that cooks very quickly. So be sure to cook it 4 to 5 inches from the heat source — and watch it carefully! Clover sprouts are available in the produce department of better supermarkets.

If the grill is large enough, cook the artichokes alongside the steaks; otherwise, grill these first and serve at room temperature.

"Here in Seattle, there's a place called 60th Street Desserts that makes fabulous lemon shortbread bars; the cookies are both sweet and tart," says Lucille van der Hagen of Seattle, WA. "Could you ask Joan Williams, the owner, for the recipe?" A crumb topping makes a nice addition to the classic bar cookie. Prepare the filling while the crust is baking; if the crust cools before the lemon filling is poured over it, the filling might seep beneath the crust.

"Michael Kornick's hip mk restaurant in Chicago has quickly become one of my favorite places for a special dinner," writes Thien Sylora of Chicago, Illinois. "I had a terrific gazpacho there."

Do not allow the meringue to overcolor when baking — check the oven often. Chill the pie well before serving.

Lemongrass lends a delicate flavor to this simple roast chicken from Market. Begin marinating the chicken one day ahead.

Poppy seeds have a tendency to go rancid quickly, so be sure to use a fresh jar (and refrigerate or freeze it afterwards).

For an impressive presentation, I always set the lemon halves in red-wine glasses, because their bowls are larger than white-wine glasses. Serve extra lemons alongside.

This distinctive fat-free drink is a great change of pace from coffee or tea.

These thin cookies resemble the strip of lemon peel that's often served with a cup of espresso.