Bon Appétit

Honey, cinnamon, vanilla and orange slices spice up the wine marinade in this low-fat fruit dessert. Transport it in an airtight plastic container, and serve it in bowls.

Italian fruitcakes with Frangelico chocolate sauce If you don't have the mini Bundt molds called for, oversize muffin cups (about one-cup capacity) can be used instead. Begin preparing this at least a week ahead.

Chinese bean thread noodles (also called cellophane noodles) are often used in Moroccan dishes, like this starter. Their use stems from the influence of a small Vietnamese community in North Africa.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Begin the meal with chilled canned vichyssoise sprinkled with chopped fresh chives. A bowl of marinated green and black olives goes well with the salad, and a compote of the season's best fruits — berries, melon and peaches — is a nice finish.

The divine lamb dish featured here is a perfect example of the excellent food served at El Olivo. This romantic restaurant, in a restored olive-oil mill, is a great spot to wine and dine someone special — the many wax-drenched candelabra are very nice touches. Service is impeccable, friendly, and attentive, including a sommelier at the ready to pair Spanish wines with the delicious local cuisine. El Olivo is one of three restaurants located in La Residencia, a beautiful resort in the western Majorca town of Deià. Serve this refined Spanish dish as they do at the restaurant, with sautéed purple potatoes, mushrooms, baby carrots, and broccoli.

The seeds of the Mexican tabasco chili were planted on Avery Island, Louisiana, in the mid 1800s, and in 1868, former New Orleans banker Edmund McIlhenny be gan experimenting with them. He created Tabasco sauce by mixing mashed chilies with salt, letting them age in oak barrels, then adding vinegar. Tabasco is so popular today that it often appears on restaurant tables right next to the salt and pepper. A good dose of the stuff puts the devil in these eggs.

Traditional potato latkes are spiced up with hot paprika and enhanced with earthy porcini mushrooms. They are especially good with roasted meats, poultry, or fish. This recipe will serve four to five as a side dish.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Roasted Pork Chops with Serrano Ham Vinaigrette .

Serve this beautiful starter with Champagne or sparkling wine.

Add a salad and lemon meringue pie.

Tender biscuits that are rich and flavorful.

This dressing is best cooked in a dish of its own, which also allows the top layer of bread to brown to an appealing crisp.

"Vito's Waterfront, a charming restaurant on Marco Island off Florida's Gulf Coast, offers a house salad that comes with a thick and tangy sun-dried tomato dressing," says Joanne Lawrence of Norwell, Massachusetts.

Serve crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio throughout the meal. Beer would be fun, too.

Capers lend tangy contrast to the sweet bell peppers. Serve the stew over egg noodles

"My boyfriend and I were vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, when we discovered Dot’s Diner, a cozy place that serves wonderful breakfasts," writes Kimberly McClain of Harris, Iowa. "The biscuit that came with my meal was baked to perfection. I would drive all the way to Colorado just to go to Dot’s again." This classic recipe produces biscuits with a lovely light texture.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Sour Cream .