Food Processor

The crunchy crumb topping contrasts nicely with the orange-scented sweet-potato puree. Sweet paprika adds a touch of heat.

The classic Andalusian gazpacho is found all over the region with surprisingly few variations, except for the addition of cucumber and onion—ingredients that have fallen out of favor with chefs who prefer to allow the pure taste of the tomatoes, Sherry vinegar, and olive oil to shine through.

Raw sugar can be found in the baking aisle.

This hearty soup makes delicious use of the flavorful 1/4-inch-thick rinds that remain after wedges of Parmesan have been grated away; they infuse the soup with a nice salty bite as it simmers.

"Here in Seattle, there's a place called 60th Street Desserts that makes fabulous lemon shortbread bars; the cookies are both sweet and tart," says Lucille van der Hagen of Seattle, WA. "Could you ask Joan Williams, the owner, for the recipe?" A crumb topping makes a nice addition to the classic bar cookie. Prepare the filling while the crust is baking; if the crust cools before the lemon filling is poured over it, the filling might seep beneath the crust.

Oven-roasted red potato chunks sprinkled with chives; steamed and buttered baby carrots; and a limestone lettuce salad would be good accompaniments to this elegant main course. Finish with a strawberry-rhubarb pie from the bakery.

While staying at the Hotel Villa Flori, which overlooks Italy's Lake Como, I had an outstanding pasta with a chunky pesto sauce," says Patty Owens of Walnut Creek, California. "Is there any chance the chef would share the recipe?" This pesto sauce includes walnuts, a variation on the classic recipe. To give the dish a creamy quality, add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.

Pasta Mille Gusti This recipe for "pasta with a thousand flavors," as Aeolian Islanders call it, is based on one developed by Fraser's friend after the writer herself was unable to persuade any locals to share their recipes. We recommend Bella di Cerignola olives, which are quite mild. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Save any scraps of this dough to create a decorative design for the top of the pie.

Try a green salad with Champagne vinaigrette on the side, and some dinner rolls. Serve miniature fruit-filled pastries after.

What to drink: Offer robust French roast coffee, but also a vintage or ruby Port.

If mini pita breads are unavailable in your area, split larger pita breads horizontally in half and cut out smaller pita rounds using a 3-inch-diameter biscuit cutter. You can streamline the process by preparing both the chicken salad and the toasted pita rounds one day in advance.

An all-purpose barbecue-style marinade that is great with chicken, quail, and duck.