Onion

Tarama, or carp roe caviar, is a favorite Kytheran ingredient.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes chilling) The electric blender (originally a bartender's tool for daiquiris) became a must-have home appliance in the 1950s. Cooks grew enamored of the blender's ability to create velvet-smooth soups — soups previously (and messily) forced through food mills and sieves.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For convenience, the lamb can be prepared one day ahead, then slowly rewarmed before you plan to serve it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Begin this dish early in the day to allow the polenta to set.

If the four-inch tortillas used at Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado, are hard to find, the standard five- to six-inch ones also work, or they can be trimmed to the smaller size.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A quick and easy side dish that goes well with roast chicken, turkey or pork chops.

Most people never think about cooking cucumber—especially since that crisp, raw crunch is so perfect for salads and canapés. But cucumber acquires a wonderful velvety texture when cooked and puréed, and this soup shows it off beautifully. Even better, the flavor and color of this soup are at their best when it is warm, not hot, which takes some of the stress out of serving ten guests.