Cheese

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Frieda Caplan, doyenne of the produce company Frieda's, introduced the U.S. to the kiwi in the sixties. It took a few years, but in the seventies, the green fruit with the fuzzy brown skin really took off.

A version of the famous Parisian ham-and-cheese sandwich pairs up with a classic soup.

A standard at health food restaurants across the country, carrot cake was ubiquitous in the seventies. Grated carrots made it a nutritious choice, or so the thinking went. This ultra-moist version is updated with a maple icing.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The sauce for these cheese-based latkes, which are great for breakfast, can be made two days ahead. Be sure to serve the pancakes (enough for four people) as soon as they are made.

Here's a versatile pesto. It's great with goat cheese as an appetizer, mixed with balsamic vinegar as a vinaigrette, spread on sandwiches, tossed with steamed carrots, or mixed with a little cream and chicken broth and served over pasta.

Cornmeal in the dough gives the bread an appealing, slightly crunchy texture.

Beet salad is delicious alongside. Rewarm leftovers for lunch the next day.

When my mother prepared this gloriously cheesy, spicy dip, the smells from the kitchen would waft throughout the house and drive us all crazy with anticipation. It's a perfect appetizer for guests, so if Mom was making it, that usually meant company for dinner, football Sundays, or a full-blown party (which wouldn't be complete without someone desperately licking the bowl clean).

If the four-inch tortillas used at Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado, are hard to find, the standard five- to six-inch ones also work, or they can be trimmed to the smaller size.

(Provençal Basil Sauce) Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The delicate grapeseed oil in the dressing allows all the delicious flavors to come out. Regular vegetable oil can be substituted.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fresh strawberries and cookies from the bakery round out the meal nicely. Pour a dry white wine or iced tea. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sprinkling this creamy custard with powdered sugar and then placing the dessert under the broiler gives it a delicate crust. Serve with crisp gingersnap cookies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.