Starter

This is a colorful variation on the classic potato latke.

Add a pleasing crunch to this velvety soup by topping it with plain croutons.

A little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top is a nice addition.

This dish is inspired by the marriage of ricotta and walnuts that makes Ligurian pansotti (triangular "pot-bellied" ravioli) with walnut sauce a timeless favorite. Serve the artichokes as a plated first course or quarter them and offer as part of an antipasto platter along with prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and marinated olives and mushrooms.

These crepe-like pancakes also make a great brunch dish. What to drink: The saltiness of the ham and cheese calls for a fruity white wine with thirst-quenching acidity, like Tuscany's Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

At the restaurant, they use Champagne in the salad dressing. We've simplified it with white wine vinegar, but if you've got a bottle of the bubbly open, feel free to substitute.

This recipe was created to accompany other canapés: Shrimp Canapés , Pickled Herring Canapés and Cheese Canapés .

This may not be as good as a true foie gras, but it's similar enough in flavor for a dish that costs only pennies to make. Not only can the pâté be served on toast — it can also serve as a finish for a classic Beef Wellington or enhance a stuffing or a meat loaf.

This recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting either soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos for the Nuoc Nam, a Vietnamese fish sauce made from anchovies which is used as a salty seasoning. The flavor will not be quite the same, but it will be equally satisfying.

For more information about making pâte à choux, see If the Choux Fits...Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This beautiful appetizer boasts a delicate balance of leek and cheese flavor.

Moroccans call their diminutive kebabs brochettes, in the French manner. The streets of Fez are dotted with little braziers of glowing charcoal over which turn wood or metal skewers heavy with tiny pieces of meat, liver, or kefta, enveloping passersby with their irresistibly enticing aromas. Many spices are used in the kefta, but so discreetly that you can hardly guess what has gone in.

Over the Fourth of July weekend in 1924, a group of unexpected guests arrived at Caesar’s Palace restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Running low on food, the owner, Caesar Cardini, threw together a salad with ingredients he had on hand. He made a thick dressing with a coddled egg, garlic-flavored oil, lemon juice, grated cheese and Worcestershire, which added a taste of anchovy. This dip has all the flavors of that first Caesar salad, and romaine lettuce and fresh veggies are nice “dippers.”

Canapés came into fashion in the cocktail-party era that began in the 1920s. Bottled mayonnaise (which was first produced by Richard Hellmann in 1912 at his New York deli) and canned crabmeat help to make this canapé a model of fast food.