Buttermilk

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Low-fat buttermilk and nonfat yogurt provide the base in a refreshing, tangy soup.

The Masa Harina adds a pleasant flavor to the light and fluffy pancakes.

Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Flour, first marketed in 1899, was America’s original ready-mix food. Until the mix became nationally available in 1910, Americans thought of pancakes only as a hearty wintertime breakfast. But with the convenience offered by a mix, flapjacks were established as a quick anytime meal. Here, we’ve taken a few modern liberties with the favorite breakfast standby, with great results.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The fennel seeds add a nice dimension to these tender scones.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Mocha Custards with Buttermilk Doughnuts .

Simmering cobs in the corn-broth mixture gives the soup extra flavor.

Scones are the classic tea and coffee partner. Tiny and elegant for a silver-service tea or as large as a fist, they're everyone's favorite served warm, split and spread with butter or whipped cream and jam.

Jennifer Martin of Portland, Oregon, writes: "I am not formally trained in cooking but grew up working in food service, from chopping vegetables at food festivals to catering parties for a little extra income. Today I own Epicure Custom Cooking, a gourmet takeout shop and catering company with a few tables for dining. Our specials change weekly and are geared toward what I like to cook and eat. I simply love the business, even with my 12-hour days." Use bananas with some black spots on the skin, a sign that they are really ripe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is a variation on a cake that my mother makes for both dessert and breakfast. The original recipe used a couple of bowls and a mixer, but I've developed a quick saucepan method, and even my mother says it has the same moist, tender texture and flavor.

Straight from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This is one of mom's specialties for a summer lunch or dinner.

It's a snap to make this delicious low-fat dessert-you don't even need an ice cream maker. The ice has a refreshing texture with an appealing crunch.

Be sure to chop the lettuce into small pieces so that it's easy to eat when serving buffet-style. My homemade Ranch Dressing complements all of the flavors. To keep down the calories in the dressing, I use nonfat yogurt. The taste is in no way affected.

Great with salads, with soups or for tea.