Bon Appétit

Vietnamese hybrid sandwiches called banh mi are great for lunch or a casual dinner.

Kate is an avid home baker, but it took her a while to figure out egg- and dairy-free desserts. The cake and the oatmeal bars are two of her favorite vegan treats.

These individual desserts feature layers of tender spiced chiffon muffins; a mix of caramelized apples, pears, and cranberries; and a rich custard laced with apple brandy. To show off the pretty layers, assemble the trifles in clear bowls or dessert glasses. Enjoy the extra muffin for breakfast the next day.

The Middle East on a flatbread: Turkish meatballs, a tahini-spiked yogurt sauce, and muhammara, a Syrian red pepper spread.

Cooking the bread pudding in a loaf pan gives it a modern, bakery-style look. For a more decadent dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream.

Brown Betty recipes started showing up in the late 1800s, although nobody is sure who "Betty" was. Traditionally, a brown Betty is made with apples, breadcrumbs, and spices. In this updated version, pears stand in for the apples and the breadcrumbs are enriched with almonds. Keep in mind that this dessert is best eaten the day it's made (but any leftovers would be nice for breakfast).

This delicious treat is a cross between butterscotch pudding and pecan pie.

This homey dessert gets its name from its lack of structure, which causes it to slump on the plate. Slumps are also known as grunts, a name that may describe the sound berries make as they cook. No matter which name you use, this old-fashioned treat is usually made of cooked fruit with a biscuit topping. Here, dried figs, apricots, tart cherries, and raisins make up the filling. The light, airy biscuits are similar to dumplings.

A tagine is a Moroccan stew. In this version, tender beef meatballs are braised with vegetables, then served over herbed couscous.

Pear nectar gives the sauce a sweet, luscious finish.

Orange-flavored liqueur and orange peel add a citrusy note to this very tender cake. Candied blood oranges keep the citrus theme going—and make for a lovely garnish.

A bittersweet chocolate ganache is spread in the bottom of the crust and is also piped on top of the nutty caramel filling.