Bon Appétit

Begin making this one day before serving.

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. As I've gotten older, preserving this tradition has become more important to me, so I've started experimenting with family recipes, including this one." Enough for a large family and guests, too.

Raw sugar can be found in the baking aisle.

Use red or yellow watermelon (or both) for this summery dessert, and pair it with the best store-bought brownies you can find.

This hearty soup makes delicious use of the flavorful 1/4-inch-thick rinds that remain after wedges of Parmesan have been grated away; they infuse the soup with a nice salty bite as it simmers.

The sauce is a twist on raita, the cooling yogurt side dish served with spicy foods. Like all the best buffet dishes, the eggplant is equally good warm or at room temperature.

"Out of necessity, I've developed a love for quick cooking," writes Judy Wilkins of Tyler, Texas. "Between my musician's hours (nights and weekends as an accompanist for local choral groups) and teacher's hours (daytime piano lessons), my schedule can be nuts. When I do have the chance to cook dinner on a weeknight, whatever I make can't take too long — and it has to taste great."

Serve with: Parslied new potatoes and a frisée salad with goat cheese. Dessert: Pineapple sorbet with sliced strawberries.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Tiramisú Eggnog Trifle .

This light, refreshing salad is from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.

In Italy, coffee granita is served in tall glasses filled halfway with granita and topped with whipped cream. We've added some white chocolate and anise-flavored liqueur.

This slaw would pair nicely with grilled chicken breasts or roasted chicken.

Drained nonfat yogurt—rather than mayonnaise or sour cream—provides the creamy texture. Start making this dip a day ahead, and try it with apple or pear slices.

"Last night I ate at Sia's in Duluth, Georgia," writes Debra Mager of Norcross, Georgia. "The first thing I did this morning was sit down to write this request for their recipe for yellow tomato soup with chipotle chilies and bacon. It was terrific—the yellow tomatoes made such a nice change."