Bon Appétit

Called "French pasta" at the restaurant, this Provençal-style special (using no butter and a minimum of oil) is typical of Méteigner's light French fare.

Start making this dip one day before you plan to serve it, since the yogurt has to drain and thicken overnight. A piece of cheesecloth is needed for the first step of the recipe.

These Colombian corn pancakes do a good job of soaking up the juices from the pork.

A Roman-style pasta carbonara can be presented as a first course, in true Italian fashion.

Mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed green beans make colorful companions. Key lime pie is a refreshing way to wrap up.

"I was in Boston on a business trip when I discovered the city's North End and its many old Italian restaurants," writes Jennifer Fassman of Westport, Connecticut. "After wandering around the small, quaint streets, I was surprised to find a bright, modern restaurant — Marcuccio's. I took the waiter's advice and ordered the sea bass with parsley sauce. It was incredible." At the restaurant, this entrée is served with sautéed broccoli rabe (also known as rapini). It would be great with spinach, too.

Scoops of purchased chocolate, vanilla, and coffee ice creams are topped with three different do-ahead sauces.

Tart apples and sweet ones come together in this all-American favorite.

This unique flan — made with pineapple juice rather than milk or cream — comes from Patria in New York. Use the pineapple juice found near the orange juice in supermarket refrigerator sections, and begin making the flan a day ahead.

Be sure to brush the grill clean while it's hot before adding the fruit.

Cook and refrigerate the rice ahead of time. This meal needs only a bottle of Chardonnay.

A purchased crust and frozen blueberries make this pie a snap to put together.

This is like a frozen mousse, which helps explain its name: semifreddo, or "half-frozen." Start preparation a day ahead.

Quick, upscale and delicious. Leftover garbanzo bean spread makes a great dip for carrot and celery sticks.

The colonists planted around 150 varieties of apples in New England, many of which can still be found today. Apples show up most often in a double-crust pie, but the crisp is also a superb showcase. Nothing more than fruit baked with crumbly nut, flour, sugar and butter topping, it's as simple to make as it is delicious.

To roll out this dough you will need a pastry cloth and a rolling-pin cover, which are available at kitchenware stores and by mail order from Bridge Kitchenware, tel. (800) 274-3435 or (212) 838-1901.

This works equally well with raw vegetables or chips — or as a sauce for cold poached salmon or shrimp.