Bon Appétit

This spicy appetizer is perfect for a last-minute party.

Impressive—and a breeze to put together. The bombe is just a layering of purchased ice cream, sorbet and cookies, and it's topped off with a store-bought fudge sauce spruced up with chocolate chips and brandy. For Valentine's Day, dress up the dessert even more with chocolate curls and maraschino cherries. Begin preparing this a day ahead.

A different, easy way to enjoy ground beef.

You'll need two dozen lemon leaves or camellia leaves to make the chocolate decoration. If you don't have unsprayed leaves from your own or a friend's garden, get them from a florist.

Bettina says that this recipe is one of her delicious and dependable standbys.

Offer toasted pita bread triangles or toasted baguette slices with this tangy dip. It's nice with raw vegetables, too.

Named for the "muddy" Mississippi River, this is a dark and rich chocolate cake.

Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the leg of lamb. Begin marinating one day ahead.

Peas and chives really dress up this side dish.

This tart has an unusual cake-like texture.

This is great warm or at room temperature.

Made with bacon, cream and Parmesan cheese, this resembles the spaghetti dish of the same name.

These cookies are also good on their own.

"There's a terrific place called Grand Central Cafe and Bakery in Portland, Oregon. I tried their Jammers, which are luscious buttermilk biscuits filled with jam," says Lori Stiffler of Butte, Montana. These home-style biscuits look like giant thumbprint cookies. Freezing the dry ingredients contributes to the biscuits' flakiness.

Marinate the tri-tip for at least two hours.

(Petto di Anatra "Porchettata") Here, duck is prepared in the manner of porchetta, suckling pig stuffed with garlic and fennel. Serve with the degreased pan juices for extra flavor.