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Crêpe Bundles with Caviar and Sour Cream Innovative and self-taught, Barry Wine redefined American haute cuisine at New York City's Quilted Giraffe in the 1980s. His iconic—and most copied—dish was the bite-size beggars’ purse, a chive-tied crêpe bundle filled with caviar and crème fraîche. We've turned it into a first course and added chives and brown butter to the crêpe batter.

This is the Culinary Institute of America's version of the American classic, rich and creamy. Paired with a salad and bread, it becomes a hearty meal.

Known as arancini, or "little oranges," in Italian, these little balls, with their surprise melted cheese filling, are an excellent way to turn leftover risotto into a delectable hors d'oeuvre. They're so good, you might be inspired to make a batch of risotto just to enjoy in this form.

Generous handfuls of parsley and mint leaves are left whole, to hold their own alongside sweet ruffles of Bibb and thin slices of cucumber.

File this one under "secret weapon" and pull it out whenever you need a quick but impressive appetizer. Warming the olives in thyme- and-lemon-zest-infused oil awakens their flavor and transforms a goat-cheese medallion into a sumptuous warm spread for flatbread.

Using a fresh bay leaf brings the perfume of the herb garden to agrodolce onions that beg to be popped in the mouth whole.

Sliced thin and broiled, eggplant retains a slight chewiness but still melts in the mouth; a caper and mint vinaigrette brightens everything.

Other seafood may be used in this dish, including scallops, tuna, swordfish, squid, or monkfish. Fish with a relatively firm texture, like that of snapper, is the best choice. Select fish that is perfectly fresh, since the fish is "cooked" only by the acidity of the lime juice. Serve avocado slices as an accompaniment, and garnish the plates or platter with additional sliced tomatoes and sprigs of cilantro.

The French term amuse bouche (which means "amuse the mouth") describes tiny appetizers that are served with drinks to awaken the palate. One such complimentary amuse bouche that we serve out Chanterelle clients as they sip their aperitifs and look over the menu is these little fritters, which come with a slightly exotic Tamarind Dipping Sauce. The restaurant staff likes them, too: After a long, late shift, when we often have snacks before we clean up and go home, we can't resist indulging in the fritters, although we usually dip them in hot sauce since there's rarely any Tamarind Dipping Sauce left in the kitchen. Sweet Vidalia onions are harvested in the spring and are best at that time, when they're freshest. They can be found the rest of the year for as long as the supply lasts. If you can't find Vidalias, try another sweet onion like Maui (Hawaii) or Walla Walla (Washington). At other times of year you could use Spanish onions as a substitute.

Although tomatoes and aromatic herbs always complement each other, tender sprigs of fresh mint seem to have a special affinity for tomatoes. In this soup the mint is a sprightly highlight that serves as a refreshing foil to the richness of the cream. Other fresh herbs, such as thyme or basil, can be substituted and the soup will still be very tasty, but you really owe it to yourself to make this recipe with mint at least once. As for the tomatoes, if it's summertime choose the ripest, freshest ones you can find (a pinch of sugar will bring out their natural sweetness); at other times of the year canned will do just fine. Serve with a basket of hot garlic bread and a tossed vegetable salad.

Gremolata is traditionally made with chopped garlic, parsley, and lemon peel; this one incorporates chopped hazelnuts and uses orange peel instead of lemon.

These savory tartlets are similar to quiches.

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

This smooth puréed soup manages the near—impossible feat of being velvety and creamy without any cream. Ribbons of zucchini add a final soupçon of elegance.

A refined rethinking of a bagel-shop favorite provides a no—cook, imaginative way to appreciate the traditional flavor pairing.

Fresh ricotta is sold in cheese shops and specialty delis.

The lime juice keeps the avocados from discoloring.

We love the games this soup plays with our senses: First, its fiery color tricks your brain into thinking it is hot, but when you take a sip, your tongue realizes the soup is cold. Then the spice of the habaneros sweeps in and deliciously complicates matters. Don't be alarmed by the number of chiles called for—habaneros' heat is complex and floral and partners perfectly with the sweetness of the red bell peppers.