Bon Appétit

In this delicious dish from Asterix & Obelix, the orzo is toasted before it's cooked, giving the pasta a nice nutty flavor.

"I made this recipe in a cooking class I taught here in Vancouver, and the crowd was so pleased they gave me a standing ovation," says Sylvia Molnar of Vancouver, British Columbia. "It's a gorgeous dish that's even better served with lemon-scented rice or potatoes." Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

"Every three months, I host a dinner party for the supper club I belong to," says Brianna P. Burks of Salt Lake City, Utah. "The last time it was my turn to cook I prepared an Italian dinner and set myself a new challenge: to make otherwise bland polenta into a truly delicious side dish. I found that Fontina adds creaminess and flavor, and thyme is just the right accent." Wonderful with steak, chicken or pork.

Serve buttered noodles, potato salad or rice pilaf alongside this entree.

From the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island.

This recipe originally accompanied Double-Decker Rhubarb Ice Cream Sandwiches.

"I had lunch at a historic spot in Berryville, Virginia, called the Battletown Inn," says Judy Owens of Round Hill Virginia. "For dessert, I ordered bourbon walnut pie. If chef Robin Smith would share her recipe, I know that baking the pie during the holidays would become a family tradition." The sweetness of the filling is offset nicely by the bourbon. Serve the dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Complete the main course with buttered sweet potato chunks (they can roast alongside the chicken) and sautéed Swiss chard. Serve purchased éclairs for dessert.

Versatile breads that are good served with cheese, spread with butter and jam at teatime, or paired with a main-course salad.

Begin preparing this a day ahead.

Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

A spectacular, satisfying side dish that's a quick and easy partner for sausages, grilled steaks or roast lamb.

These cookies are perfect with a cup of tea.

Mustard greens, increasingly common in supermarkets today, cook as quickly as fresh spinach. Their assertive taste is terrific here in a warming winter soup.

This simple apple salad got its name from the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Invented in 1896 not by a chef but by the maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf salad was an instant success. As often happens, many variations evolved—some with raisins, some with chopped nuts. This one has green apples and red seedless grapes.

Invented in the 1800s, the baked Alaska was possibly named to commemorate America's purchase of that northern territory. The dessert was a big hit in the fifties because convenience was a watchword, and for all the showy effect it created at the table, baked Alaska was not difficult to make. Restaurants served ornately decorated versions under flaming cascades of liqueur, while home cooks could just bake it in the oven. Either way, the magic was there—a layer of meringue kept the ice cream inside from melting in the oven. These days, store-bought premium ice creams help baked Alaska taste even better and offer a wide range of flavor options.