Bon Appétit

Brushed with garlic oil, grilled over the fire and stacked onto crusty buns with plenty of burger trimmings, portobellos are this season's snazziest alternative sandwich filling.

A wonderful brunch dish. You will need to begin preparing it a day before serving.

If you can't find fresh sea scallops, use peeled large shrimp, leaving the tails on. Rice pilaf or orzo would be a good accompaniment.

A real winner: Delicate "purses" of phyllo pastry hold a banana and hazelnut filling. They're served with white chocolate sauce and a crunchy hazelnut crumble.

Great with barbecued steak and cold beer.

(POULET AUX ARTICHAUTS)

(GIGOT D'AGNEAU AUX POMMES DE TERRE ET OIGNONS)

"When I lived in South Africa, rum and raisin chocolate bars were a special treat," says Beth Peterson of Phoenix, Arizona. "I created this brownie recipe based on that combination of flavors, and perfected it with the help of friends and colleagues who sampled the brownies at each stage of development. These have a grown-up taste with the right balance of sweetness and rum." Try these warm with vanilla ice cream.

The recipe for these melt-in-your-mouth pecan crescent cookies has been in my family for years," says Marilynn Bonecki of Marengo, Illinois. "They can be made a couple of weeks in advance, but it's hard to keep them in the house that long." Be sure to chill the dough overnight before shaping and baking the cookies.

Sprinkle shredded cheddar over some tortilla chips, and pop them under the broiler for a minute-you'll have instant first-course nachos. All you need with the salad is a basket of tortillas or crusty bread. Mix some cinnamon into chocolate pudding to wrap up this Mexican-style dinner. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer some fresh strawberries for dessert.