Snack

A great cocktail snack to have on hand, these will keep for a week before serving.

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

These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koosé in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre. Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).

Adding fleur de sel at the end transforms this tart into a delicious cross between a cheese course and dessert.

Hazelnuts give these airy and crunchy nuggets a distinctive flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An inspired cherry-chocolate dessert.

We tried several different brands of whole-wheat and found that Pepperidge Farm loaves have a slight sweetness that works especially well in this torte.

The yield for these cutouts varies depending on the size and shape of the cookie cutters you use. We chose 4- to 5-inch cutters for the cookies on the cover, which makes the yield much smaller and increases the baking time by a few minutes. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes decorating)

Serve this beautiful starter with Champagne or sparkling wine.

Gregg Thompson of St. Joseph, Missouri, writes, "A good many years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a beefy curried mousse at Snaffles restaurant in Dublin. The recipe was published in You Asked for It in your January 1972 issue. It's a wonderful dish that I have continued to enjoy through the years, and I believe it should be resurrected." Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 8 hr This is a great hors d'oeuvre to make the night before it's served, and it's best when made with the freshest garlic you can find.