Bon Appétit

The origin of this luscious dessert, which resembles an English trifle (the name translates as "English soup"), is most likely with the homesick Victorians who fled the cold English climate for the warmth of Italy. In this signature Neapolitan version, the sponge cake is soaked with rum and layered with chocolate-cinnamon and vanilla-orange custards. If you can't find sponge cake, two pound cakes can be used. For a decorative touch, pipe a whipped cream border around the edge of the dessert before serving.

Lots of garlic adds great flavor to this dish. At the restaurant they make it with spinach pappardelle, but fettuccine is a convenient substitution.

Tarator, a creamy nut and garlic blend, is one of Turkey's finest sauces. It traditionally enhances cooked vegetables, fish or shellfish, and it is also a lovely dip for pita bread. Although the true tarator uses hazelnuts, local cooks often make it with whatever nut grows in their area.

A lovely appetizer or lunch dish.

Tangy Irish cheddar or Cashel, an Irish blue cheese, is ideal for this typical main-course pub salad; you can substitute English cheddar or French Roquefort. Thick slices of buttered soda bread and some raisin tarts could round out the menu.

A finale that is great on its own or served with some whipped cream that has been accented with brown sugar.

This flavorful entrée is very low in fat.

Start preparing this at least a day ahead.

Deriving its name from the Latin word "focus", meaning "hearth," focaccia evolved from the unleavened hearth cake eaten during the Middle Ages. It was made by patting the dough into a flat round and cooking it directly on a hot stone or under a mound of hot ashes. While it has become something of an Italian national dish, this popular bread's true home is the area around Genoa. It seems as if every seaside resort on the Italian Riviera has its own special focaccia. Whether soft or crisp, thick or thin, the dough is typically flavored with local herbs and olive oil.

Every village on Sardinia makes its own special breads, and its rumored that there are five hundred different kinds on the island. This particular one comes from the area around Cagliari and was originally a holiday bread. It is now available every day. Formed into semicircles and called cocoeddi, it is made from a simple starter named biga, which gives the bread its special aroma, flavor and texture by producing a second fermentation. The starter can be kept in the refrigerator up to five days or can be frozen; before being used, it should be brought to room temperature, which takes about three hours.

The cookie-like dough is great for the novice pie maker, as any imperfections can easily be patched. Be sure to use ripe, juicy pears. Offer this with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

The crisp Rosemary Toasts taste great dunked into this flavorful soup. To serve on the side, toss arugula with sliced red onions and basalmic vinaigrette, then top the salad with shavings of Parmesan cheese. For dessert, keep it simple with ripe pears and amaretti (almond cookies).