Bon Appétit

French pastry chefs dedicated this classic dessert to the Russian royal family. In this version, Grand Marnier-soaked berries are served with a tangy homemade ice cream (in place of the usual whipped cream). If you'd like, serve some sweet, crisp cookies alongside.

The chicken sausages are a terrific time-saving ingredient: They're already cooked and full of flavor.

Purchased tapenade gives rich, briny flavor to the fish and the couscous.

Later in the summer, you can use eggplant in place of the portobellos.

In this impressive main course, sautéed scallops and shrimp are paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the seafood and the side dishes with warm corn or flour tortillas.

The slight bitterness of the roasted broccolini balances the richness of the duck breast.

Zabaglione is a light, foamy custard. In this elegant dessert, the warm Grand Marnier-spiked custard is spooned over fresh strawberries just before serving.

Pucker up with this refreshing sweet-sour spin on the classic gimlet. Ruby Red grapefruit vodka from Napa Valley stands in for gin, and fresh lime juice adds just the right amount of tartness.

Purchased ice cream becomes a party-worthy dessert with the addition of homemade caramel sauce and a little toasted coconut.

Baking the cake in one 12-inch round pan creates a dessert with presence. Assorted edible flowers make an easy, great-looking garnish.

The hens roast in about half the time it takes to cook a whole chicken. Offer wilted spinach alongside.

This dish requires just four ingredients (aside from oil, salt, and pepper). Serve with an arugula salad.

The lamb (grass-fed, ideally) needs to marinate overnight, so be sure to begin one day ahead. Ask the butcher to bone and butterfly the lamb for you.

Because it's such a tender cut, pork tenderloin is relatively quick-cooking—and it's impressive to serve. Add steamed rice to complete the meal.

This luxurious treat is somewhere between a trifle, a tiramisù, and a summer pudding. The lime gives it a wonderful brightness.

Why get takeout when you can make orange chicken so quickly at home?

The secret to great shortcakes is a very moist dough, so don’t be tempted to add more flour.

Supermarket roast chicken can be easily dressed up, as in this lovely salad. Look for almond oil at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

This ultra-simple recipe relies on fresh, good-quality wild salmon. If you like, sprinkle the fish with some chopped fresh herbs or a little freshly grated lemon peel before roasting.