Cheese

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Guacamole (there are many kinds in the freezer section these days) and a new sweet fruit salsa are good accompaniments to these quesadillas. (The quesadillas make good use of shredded mixed cheeses and pre-seasoned, precooked chicken.) Have sliced oranges and red onions atop romaine for a salad, and buy flan or vanilla pudding to top off the meal.

Pastiera Napoletana If you can't find hulled whole-wheat kernels (sometimes sold as "pastry wheat"), substitute barley, skip the soaking, and cook as described below, but for only about 30 minutes. Whole wheat kernels — grano in Italian — are used for this traditional Neapolitan dessert that became a mainstay in Italian-American restaurants and bakeries. In Italy, cooked whole-wheat kernels can be found in cans; if you spot some, it will make this recipe a little simpler.

"I spend as much time as I can cooking," writes Brigette Lyons of Allendale, New Jersey, "and I'm equally comfortable feeding two or two hundred. I thoroughly enjoy giving sit-down meals, including an annual Christmas luncheon I do for about twenty guests. I just like to cook, period. Cooking for two hundred may be different from making weeknight dinners for myself and my husband, John, but organization is the key to both. I try to keep things on hand that are simple and easy to prepare." These rich and creamy mashed potatoes (thanks to sour cream and cream cheese) can be prepared ahead of time.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Even lean, mean depression-era macaroni and cheese was comforting, a tribute to the twin powers of carbohydrates and melted cheese, which are just as irresistible now as they were then. Some fans love the crunchy crust while others crave the creamy center. This lush and ultra-tangy millennium mac and cheese aims to please adherents of both schools of thought.

Bourdain embellishes this risotto with black truffle shavings, but we thought it was delicious even without them. We opted for a cost-effective alternative — drizzling the risotto with truffle oil just before serving.

The King Arthur Flours, its catalog (1-800-827-6836) and web site (www. kingarthurflour.com) are, in our opinion, a baker's best friend. The staff of exemplary Vermonters is unfailingly courteous and helpful should you have a baking problem or question. They appear to be serious at-home bakers too — many of the recipes on the web site and in the catalog are contributed by employees. These cheddar and pepper scones from the web site are really part angel biscuit, part scone — not the usual dry, crumbly, heavy scone, but rich and extraordinarily light. The black pepper is a powerful ingredient, by the way — timid palates should use less.

Here's an all-new tuna-noodle casserole; just add a salad of arugula and sliced oranges. Dessert might be big spice cookies sandwiched with vanilla ice cream.

Serve with: Red cabbage slaw and pickles. Dessert: Fudge brownies.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

This elegant no-bake cheesecake has a smooth, airy filling similar to a mousse. To make the graham cracker crumbs, blend graham cracker pieces in a food processor.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr (not including frico) Test your springform pan with water for leakage before getting started. If it leaks, tightly wrap the bottom and halfway up the side of the pan with two layers of foil before filling it.

Tracey Medeiros of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "I'm a food stylist and recipe developer — and passionate about my job. It was a dream of mine to have a career in the culinary arts, but I didn't think that was possible. In college I was a political science major and considered going to law school. But soon after graduation I realized cooking was my true calling." Italian-inspired sandwiches hot off the grill.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

To set a festive mood, serve these with mimosas made with icy-cold Prosecco and freshly squeezed tangerine juice.

A terrific accompaniment for kebabs.

Goat cheese and truffle oil add rich flavors to the humble sweet potato.