Bon Appétit

A small coffee or spice mill makes grinding the whole spices very easy. Serve the lamb with the Indian Ratatouille and basmati rice. Pour a spicy red wine such as Syrah or Zinfandel.

"While my sister was visiting me, we had dinner at Asher Restaurant in nearby Roswell," writes Terry Taylor of Suwanee, Georgia. "She loved the meal — the rhubarb crisp with buttermilk ice cream in particular. I'd love to surprise her by making this dessert the next time she's in town."

This cake is good sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with vanilla frosting.

The salmon can be grilled two ways. The first method requires a fish-grilling basket, which can be found at many cookware and barbecue stores (use one that's about 18 by 6 inches for this recipe). The second technique doesn't call for any special equipment at all — just a rimless baking sheet and a spatula.

"Inventing desserts is my passion," says Laura Gambrill of Washington, D.C.. "This is a twist on an all-time favorite, bananas Foster. The mango, crystallized ginger and pineapple complement the banana and rum nicely — and so does the toasted coconut that I sprinkle on top."

If the pencil-thin French green beans known as haricots verts are not available at your local super market, use the thinnest regular ones you can find.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These are made with an Italian sourdough starter known as a biga, which has to be prepared one day ahead. Note that before baking the breadsticks, you can give them amusing shapes by forming one end of each dough rope into a squiggle, a loop, or whatever strikes your fancy.

This sauce would also taste great served with a variety of fish, as well as sautéed scallops, shrimp or lobster.

Corn kernels and chili powder lend a southwestern accent to these muffins. They would also be nice alongside a bowl of chili.

Delicious on crackers or as a filling for small tea sandwiches.

Achiote paste is a combination of vinegar, spices and annatto seeds, which have a unique, earthy taste. Basting the turkey with butter and achiote yields a moist, richly flavored bird, and the slightly piquant sauce is a refreshing change of pace from traditional gravy. Offer your favorite mashed potatoes, and pour a Pinot Noir.

These flavorful toasts are easy enough to make for last-minute guests. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Barley replaces rice in this twist on the classic Italian risotto.