Bon Appétit

The truffled fries are an inspired, luxurious accompaniment.

Serve over couscous, if desired.

Serve with: Red bean and rice salad, and slices of avocado and grapefruit.

Hearty lentils and a creamy cauliflower puree make this a particularly satisfying fish dish. Curry powder is an exotic surprise in the lentils.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <edit:recipelink id="230642">Sausage-Wrapped Lamb Chops</edit:recipelink>. Also great tossed with grilled vegetables, stirred into pasta, or as a topping for grilled fish or a portabello burger.

Pipérade is a dish from the Basque region of France that features tomatoes and green peppers cooked in olive oil. Serve with: French country bread, and baby greens in a Sherry wine vinaigrette.

Serve with: Buttermilk biscuits with herb butter, and chilled steamed asparagus spears in a citrus vinaigrette.

To pit an olive quickly, use the side of a large knife to crush the fruit, then pop out the pit. Serve with: Linguine tossed with olive oil and parsley and twirled into nests, roasted artichokes, and a crusty baguette.

This main-course soup showcases some of summer's best flavors. Serve with: Flaky biscuits, and a baby spinach salad with roasted red peppers.

Steve Mosel of Bremerton, Washington, writes: "I was in Minneapolis last month for a family wedding and stayed at the Radisson hotel downtown. I'm very rarely impressed by hotel restaurants, but the meal I had at FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar was really wonderful. The Bundt cake I ordered was one of the best desserts I've had outside of my mother's kitchen." Although the recipe calls for baking the cakes in mini Bundt pans, large muffin pans work equally well.

Raymond Williams of Minneapolis, Minnesota, writes: "Every November, my wife and I drive to our winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona. We always look forward to warming up in the desert sun and eating at our favorite restaurant in town, Zinc Bistro. Last winter we had an outstanding artichoke and celery root salad there."

This recipe is an accompaniment for Chai-Spiced Honey Bundt Cakes . Any leftover syrup would be delicious drizzled over pancakes.

Michael Shrader of Nine Restaurant Group in Palm Springs, Florida, writes: "Both sides of my family cooked a lot when I was growing up, so I've had plenty of inspiration to draw on as a chef. From my mother's Sicilian heritage, I learned about homemade pasta, braised meats, and biscotti—before they became fashionable. My dad is part German, and he was known for his talents working the grill. Now that I'm a professional chef, my entire family is paranoid about cooking for me. I find that funny because I still love their food and look forward to it." This recipe makes two cakes, so freeze one to enjoy at another time.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="230635">Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce, Creamed Spinach, and Truffled French Fries</epi:recipelink>. You'll need a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil.

A topping of chopped Heath bars gives these brownies a satisfying crunch.

Pat Kyofski of Brooklyn, New York, writes: "I have a huge sweet tooth, so you can imagine my delight when my friends told me they were taking me to ChikaLicious, a dessert bar in the East Village, for my birthday. We all ordered something different, but soon found that one chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream wasn't enough. Would chef Chika Tillman share the recipe?" At the restaurant, the tart is also served with a red wine sauce. The dough needs to chill overnight, so start preparing it a day ahead.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business." Batali calls these soft cookies unscotti because they are baked once, unlike biscotti, which are crisp and baked twice.

Despite their name, pink peppercorns aren't really peppercorns, but rather dried berries from a rose plant. They add a hint of color and a spicy floral note to this delicious ice cream. Grind a few of the peppercorns over the top for a pretty garnish. This recipe is an accompaniment for Warm Chocolate Tarts .

This recipe is an accompaniment for Peanut Butter Beignets with Caramelized Bananas . Make this up to one week ahead.