Cheese

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Liptauer gained its name from the provenance of the fresh sheep's milk cheese with which it was originally made, Lipto, Hungary. Our version of this seasoned spread is made with cream cheese.

Excellent with crackers, on crusty country bread or served as a dip with crudités.

To make this a vegetarian chili, use an additional eight ounces of lentils instead of the pound of ground beef.

Not a Mexican salsa, this Italian "green sauce" is made of fresh basil, parsley, garlic and a big splash of vermouth. Swirled atop the cheese mixture, the salsa verde adds a lovely marbled effect to the fondue.

(Fiori di Zucca Ripieni) Of all the aspects of Tuscan cuisine, not one stands out as much as its overwhelming variety of fresh vegetables. Zucchini is a favorite, of course, and so are the blossoms. The sweet, succulent flowers are prepared in countless ways, including fried, sautéed and, as in the following recipe, stuffed and baked. If you don't have zucchini in your garden, look for the blossoms in the supermarket or at a farmers' market. They are usually sold still attached to baby zucchini, which is how they are used in this recipe.

A berry dessert that's a great finish to the spiced chicken breast meal.

This pasta dish originated in the region of Lazio, not Tuscany. However, it is popular throughout Italy — and America — today.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

In her cookbook Fiesta!, Anya von Bremzen included a recipe by the Jackson Heights (Queens, New York) "arepa lady," known simply as Piedad. Though arepas are a common South American breakfast item (as well as a lunch and dinner starch), what makes hers so special is the luxurious inclusion of butter in the dough and the use of milk instead of water. We've adapted the recipe slightly.

Here is a beautiful and inventive salad that combines hearty beets, sweet-tart plums and tangy goat cheese.