American

The malt flavor of Guinness stout marries well with the sugar and milk in this distinctive ice cream--inspired by a recipe from the files of the American Homebrewers Association--and the faintly bitter aftertaste cuts the sweetness.

For the spider web that decorates this cake, melted semisweet chocolate chips work best. Don't be tempted to substitute another type of chocolate.

This stunning sweet from Spago Beverly Hills can be assembled ahead of time, then baked at the last minute. Note that the dessert needs to be frozen at various points, so plan accordingly. When preparing the meringue disks, use a six-ounce tuna fish can as a template.

Thin and delicate, these chocolate chip cookies are spiced with ginger.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Try tucking this simple make-ahead salad into pita bread halves and adding some ruffly-edged lettuce for color.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The reader who requested a recipe for buttermilk sherbet the way his mother used to make it was moved by more than nostalgia. This preparation is so light and so refreshing that it deserves a new vogue in the nineties.

"Benne" is the Carolina Low Country word for sesame seeds, which came to the United States from Africa. This biscuit dough is made a day or so ahead, then formed right before baking. Angel biscuits, so called because of their tender, light texture, will not keep well at room temperature once baked

At Thanksgiving, rice stuffings are standard on many southern tables. This one, a combination of white rice and wild rice, gets more regional notes from collard greens, pecans and ham.