Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A lime and soy dipping sauce accompanies this appetizer from A Pacific Cafe in Kapaa, on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

A homey yet sophisticated soup that's great for casual entertaining.

The crab salad is mounded over the ends of endive spears so that they work as edible scoops for the salad. This is served as a starter at Le Chat Grippé in Paris, France.

Fresh spinach, sauteéd in oil with garlic, is pureed with sour cream and green onions to create this delicious dip. For a picnic, transport the dip and the vegetables in a cooler, or surround them with cold packs in the picnic basket.

Tangy beer makes a good match with sweet, briny mussels. Here the brew is seasoned with a spice mixture akin to that used in a Louisiana-style crab boil. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ripe plantains have peels that are almost completely black whereas the firm-ripe ones called for in this recipe are mottled black and yellow. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Russian Potato-and-Cabbage Turnovers)