Cheese

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"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.

Saffron Risotto An Italian classic, traditionally served with Osso Buco , this dish also makes a great accompaniment to the Whole Red Snapper Baked in a Salt Crust .

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.

It’s little wonder that lasagna became the informal party dish of the fifties and sixties-it can be assembled ahead of time, it freezes well, and it is a delicious and inexpensive way to feed a crowd. In this contemporary-and meatless-version, "no-boil" noodles eliminate a step, and bottled pasta sauce stands in for homemade.

While the cheesecake has been around for centuries, it was perfected in the 1920s by New York delicatessens. It first appeared at Arnold Reuben’s eponymous restaurant on East 58th Street and soon was featured at Lindy’s on Times Square and at Junior’s in Brooklyn. Marmalade tops this luscious cake; it also has citrus peel in the filling.

For a more elegant presentation, ask your butcher to french the rack of lamb (that is, trim the meat and fat from the ends of the bones). Also serve the Potato Silk with Truffle Oil and sautéed cherry tomatoes. A good Merlot is the perfect accompaniment.

Loosely translated, tiramisù means "pick me up," and it has been picked up on practically every menu in America. Since the early eighties, it has been one of the most famous Italian-American desserts, and like spaghetti and meatballs, it is far more prevalent here than in Italy. Purchased angel food cake makes this especially easy.