Bon Appétit

This surprisingly rich-tasting cereal is a healthful rice pudding — for breakfast. If you can't find dried mango in your local supermarket or natural foods store, you can use dried apricots instead.

Sliced avocado and purchased salsa are great additions to this Tex-Mex entrée. Let guests assemble their own tacos.

A mixed vegetable stew, seasoned with spices characteristic of Morocco. Serve it with rice or couscous.

Ouzeries are Greek cafés that specialize in mezedes, or appetizers, as well as in ouzo, the strong, anise-tinged drink after which the cafés are named. Saganaki gets its name from the two-handled pan in which it is made, but it can be prepared in any heavy small skillet. For a final flourish, the cheese is often splashed with ouzo and flamed.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

The Strait of Messina is a rich source for swordfish, which the Sicilians prepare in many ways. Here it is at its simplest: grilled and served with salmoriglio sauce. (In Sicilian, it is sammurigghiu sauce.) The words means "brine", a translation that does not convey the taste or texture of this cooked blend of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. Serve with bread and pour a white wine, preferably Sicilian. For dessert, offer cannoli from the bakery.

For a heartier sandwich, coarsely chopped avocado can be stirred into the yogurt.

Serve this hearty stew with plain yogurt or raita for a high-protein vegetarian meal.

A trifle with a few twists: a white chocolate pudding and layers of dark chocolate cream and apricot puree.

This is a fabulous pudding-like dessert that's very easy to make.

This moist Christmas cake takes its cues from the flavors and spices found in the classic Lebkuchen cookie. It's brushed with an orange-scented honey syrup, frosted with a creamy white chocolate icing and then surrounded by sliced almonds.

Spicy crushed red pepper, rosemary and garlic enhance this main course. Uncork an Italian Barbera to match the menu's hearty flavors. For dessert, offer a compote of blueberries and sliced nectarines with crème fraîche (available at many supermarkets) or lightly whipped cream.

The graham cracker crunch topping is delicious on its own, but combined with ripe peaches, cinnamon syrup and ice cream, it makes for positively addictive sundaes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This easy zuppa di pesce is a staple of the anchovy packers of Mazara del Vallo on the northwestern coast of Sicily. It always comes with bread to soak up the juices.

Old-fashioned green goddess dressing tastes as good today as it did back in the twenties, when it was invented. It's a delicious partner for mixed greens, chicken salad, cold poached salmon and sliced tomatoes.