Bon Appétit

Fresh, colorful and simple, this salad is the essence of summer. In the picnic basket, tuck a cold pack next to this dish to keep it at the right temperature.

Have fun with this variation on an old favorite.

Oats, brown sugar and walnuts team up with cinnamon and cloves in the terrific streusel topping for this homespun treat.

Here's a colorful and creative pie: Apricots, which flourish in California, Hawaiian pineapple and Oregon cranberries come together in a filling that offers a terrific balance of the exotic and the traditional. It's good with vanilla ice cream.

Setting the skillet that contains the caramel onto a larger skillet of ice cubes is a clever way to prevent the caramel from burning.

For cool contrast to the spicy soup, serve an orange, red onion and avocado salad sprinkled with ground cumin, fresh lime juice and olive oil. Complete the main course with corn bread, and end with vanilla pudding topped with cocoa powder and chopped pecans.

Not your typical salsa. This innovative topping is terrific with leg of lamb, or use it on endive spears or celery sticks for a party hors d'oeuvre.

The classic combination of tomatoes, basil and cheese is unbeatable, especially with the addition of prosciutto. Pair the pizza with a salad of radicchio and romaine in an oil and vinegar dressing. Follow up with cannoli and espresso.

This recipe doubles easily.

Serve garlic toast with this to mop up all the savory broth.

Root vegetables are a staple of Irish cooking. They often show up in soups, such as this one from The Courtyard in Schull, Ireland.

Canadian bacon makes a great accompaniment.

The shrimp are simmered and served in a peppery, New Orleans-style sauce-peel them at the table as you eat. Coleslaw, crusty French bread for sopping up all the sauce, and plenty of napkins are ideal accompaniments. For dessert, crullers and coffee with whipped cream would be easy substitutes for traditional beignets and café au lait.