Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Most cookware stores carry baker's peels (wooden, paddle-like implements used to slide pizza into ovens) and pizza stones; these tools make it easy to create a crust with character, but good crusts also require a very hot oven. In our experience, the most common flaw in home-made pizza is mozzarella overdose: Too much of it smothers the rest of the pie, causing what's below to steam into softness. The following pie is made without any mozzarella at all. Needless to say, the roster of toppings is flexible.

These peel-and-eat shrimp are great fun. Just make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.

This very ancient dish of pickled salmon is of Swedish origin, and considered by a great many Scandinavians to be superior to smoked salmon. It must be made with fresh fish that has never been frozen, and with a plentiful supply of fresh dill weed.

We think bowls made of ice are the perfect vessel for this soup, but if space is tight in your freezer, regular soup bowls will work just fine. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 8 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Domestic golden whitefish roe, much of which comes from the Great Lakes region, can also be used.

Bonnie Wilkens Metully of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "As much as my husband and I love to go out to eat, it's just more fun, intimate, and cozy to cook and entertain at home. I've taught a lot of our friends just how easy it is to prepare restaurant-quality dishes themselves. Who taught me? My older sister, who's a professional chef. She showed me the importance of getting everything prepped beforehand and seeking out the freshest ingredients." This sophisticated appetizer is one of Bonnie's greatest party hits.

Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their sweetness. What to drink: A dry Italian white, such as Pinot Grigio or Soave.

Nice as an appetizer or a simple lunch.

Brining the shrimp and then grilling them in their shells will help retain flavor and the natural juices.