Citrus

Our food editors dreamed up this variation on a classic theme for our "all-French" issue, published to coincide with the French republic's Bicentennial celebrations.

This is a sophisticated first course. The soup is also nice without the lobster. Uncork a Chardonnay or a French Sancerre.

This recipe produces a deliciously moist fish with a subtly salty flavor.

(ZALETTINI) These shortbread-like cookies get their crunchy texture and pretty yellow color from cornmeal. They are enjoyed all over Veneto, a region known for its polenta. In fact, zalettini means "little yellow ones" in the Venetian dialect.

Senior editor Karen Kaplan devised these delicious lemon sugar cookies. They're cut into Hanukkah shapes-menorahs, dreidels and Hebrew letters-and decorated with blue and white icing. Wrap them in tins, decorated shoe boxes, hatboxes or pretty bags. They make nice hostess gifts for couples with young children.

This simple white cake has a lemon curd filling and glaze. Big cakes like this are typical special-occasion desserts in the South.

This treat is topped with slices of bright oranges. The slices must be cooked very slowly, or the pulp will fall away. Begin preparing the cheesecake one day before you plan to serve it.

Intense chocolate flavor accented with orange highlights this lovely layer cake.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You don't have to be in the kitchen at the crack of dawn to prepare a terrific breakfast. In this recipe the French toast is soaked overnight like bread pudding — in the morning all you need to do is add the topping and pop it in the oven. Serve it with coffee, juice, and fresh fruit and you've got a well-rounded way to start the day.

Michael McLaughlin, cookbook author, says, "Green beans amandine used to be the festive vegetable of choice at any number of my family's holiday celebrations. Over the years, a few of us have improvised here and there, resulting in this easy side dish, a real family heirloom. For a change of pace, orange peel can replace the lemon."

If you can't find fresh sea scallops, use peeled large shrimp, leaving the tails on. Rice pilaf or orzo would be a good accompaniment.

A real winner: Delicate "purses" of phyllo pastry hold a banana and hazelnut filling. They're served with white chocolate sauce and a crunchy hazelnut crumble.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve buttered noodles, potato salad or rice pilaf alongside this entree.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Aromatic spice and herb blends can quickly turn an ordinary soup recipe into something extraordinary. Here they transform a basic carrot soup into a special concoction you'll crave again and again. So start utilizing the "cook once, eat twice" theory; just freeze half of the recipe or make a double batch whenever possible.