Snack

Many kinds of vegetables and even some fruits go well with this versatile dip.

Wonderful sugar cookies with the crunch of poppy seeds and a luscious lemon cream cheese filling. Assemble them shortly before serving to keep them crisp. If you like, you can always skip the filling and serve the cookies on their own.

This cake is light and moist-perfect for dessert or an indulgent afternoon tea. For a pretty decoration, place stencil or doily on the cake and sift powdered sugar over. Even easier, just sift powdered sugar over the entire cake.

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

A bed of rock salt helps keep the cooked clams in place on the platter.

Brown sugar, almonds and oats combine for a crunchy topping in this lovely dessert. A touch of kirsch, a clear cherry brandy, enhances the fruit.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The original recipe for oysters Rockefeller, created at the New Orleans restaurant Antoine's in 1899, remains a secret to this day. The appetizer, oysters topped with a mixture of finely chopped greens and copious amounts of butter and then baked in their shells, was considered so rich that it had to be named after the richest man of the day, John D. Rockefeller. A few years later, no self-respecting restaurateur would be without his own version on the menu. This lighter take features spinach, watercress, green onions and grated Parmesan.

Jennifer Martin of Portland, Oregon, writes: "I am not formally trained in cooking but grew up working in food service, from chopping vegetables at food festivals to catering parties for a little extra income. Today I own Epicure Custom Cooking, a gourmet takeout shop and catering company with a few tables for dining. Our specials change weekly and are geared toward what I like to cook and eat. I simply love the business, even with my 12-hour days." Use bananas with some black spots on the skin, a sign that they are really ripe.

A blintz is simply a filled crepe. If making crepes is new to you, you'll be glad to know that there is plenty of batter to try a few practice ones. The completed blintzes can be frozen for up to a month.

A refreshing finale to a healthful dinner.

Legend has it that these cornmeal and molasses rolls are named for a New England fisherman's curse on his wife: "Anna, damn her!" Regardless of what she may have done to upset her spouse, she was a great baker.

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

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr