Bon Appétit

This sorbet can be prepared with or without an ice cream maker; either way, it has a deep, dark and intense cocoa flavor.

A thick, rich soup that's very satisfying on a cold day, especially with warm tortillas or biscuits alongside.

The caramelized onion jam can be prepared three days before you make the sandwiches.

"Five years ago, I threw my first dinner party," writes Kristin McGill of Chicago, Illinois. "It was a memorable night with good friends, great food and lots of wine. That night, cooking became my passion. Now even after a long day at the office, I look forward to making dinner for my husband, Henry, and myself. That’s because for me whipping up a meal at the end of the day has become the perfect stress reliever." A perfect party hors d’oeuvre or accompaniment to soup or the Bibb Lettuce, Avocado, and Dried Cranberry Salad.

What could be better than this racy little salad with its spicy radishes, tender mâche, and crunchy endive tossed in a cool, clear dressing? Your guests can sit back, relax, and sip their wine before diving into the sweet finale of cake and tartlets. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

(SMACAFAM) The name of this dish means "hunger killer" in the dialect of the Trentino part of the northern region of Trentino-Alto Adige.

"As a kid, I'd accompany my mother to her job at the racetrack, where she would lead the horses out to the starting gate," writes Michael Hunter of Studio City, California. "Eventually I was helping out in the stalls, and when I got older, I became a jockey. My mother was also the person who, in a roundabout way, inspired my other passion: cooking. I'd come home from school, and she would have prepared something from a box or can. I didn't always like what was on the dinner table, so one day I asked her to buy me a cookbook. Pretty soon I was making dinner for us almost every night. Now, after seventeen years of racing horses and cooking for family and friends, I'm making the jump to professional cooking."

The German settlers in Philadelphia were known for their sausage-making talents. In this side dish, sausage teams up with molasses and squash, two classic Colonial ingredients. Be sure to select squash that are no bigger than four inches in diameter so that they will fit in a single layer in the baking dish.

A super-creamy dessert that will have cheesecake lovers begging for seconds.

(TORTA DI TRE CIPOLLE CON TALEGGIO)

Serve grated cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa with the fajitas. Begin with Margaritas, and finish with coffee ice cream drizzled with Kahlúa.

Don't let the name fool you. This chicken is sweet from the honey, but it's also very spicy from a jalapeño chili and plenty of black pepper. Frosty lager beer and orzo salad are cooling accompaniments. The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours, so begin preparing it ahead of time.

Gussy up some couscous with chopped olives and red onion, and offer carrot and jicama sticks for crunch. Fill phyllo tart shells (from your store's frozen foods section) with vanilla pudding and sliced bananas for dessert.

This style of pizza is called "sfincione" in its native Sicily. Precede it with some canned bean soup that has been accented with chopped fresh sage and diced tomatoes. End with strawberries drizzled with Marsala, and pass nougat candies or assorted chocolates.

In addition to being great with milk at breakfast time, this is nice sprinkled over yogurt, fruit or ice cream, or baked into your favorite granola cookies or bars.

Start this romantic supper with Russian caviar and ice-cold lemon vodka. The main course is a simplified but impressive interpretation of the Russian fish pie known as kulebiaka, which the French call coulibiac. Offer Champagne with the entrée, and finish the meal with babas au rhum from a French bakery to complete the cross-European elegance.

The dough for these simple cookies can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to two days before being sliced and baked.