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Postre de Quinoa Linda Bladholm's South American friend Lilian Zamorano gave us the recipe for this unusual but very tasty dessert. It's made with the ancient Peruvian grain quinoa, which is a common side dish at Peruvian restaurants. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

This is a variation of a classic pecan pie recipe with the addition of chocolate. It's a bit hedonistic. It is very easy to assemble, but it takes 45 to 50 minutes to bake.

The warm caramel flavors in cola complement the molasses and brown sugar in this cake. The remaining candied kumquats are delicious served over vanilla ice cream. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese in the frosting.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

What to drink: Georg Breuer 1999 Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel Rüdesheim Berg Rottland.

Start this a day ahead and freeze overnight. For the crust, blend crumbled vanilla wafer cookies in a processor until crumbs form.

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. "

"This is one of my favorite pastas," Lisa Bonacossi said, citing its simplicity. "it is made with lemons, pine nuts, and oil that everyone has on hand." The flavors are simple and brilliant. The sauce is best served with fresh tagliatelle. I serve it with lemon wedges too for those who like to squeeze a bit of fresh juice over the pasta. Serve this with a well-chilled Pinot Grigio for a nice, bright combination.

The Spanish sauce known as romesco is usually high in fat; this version contains less oil, but just as much flavor.

Peanut butter chips and chopped salted peanuts take brownies to a new level. Offer fresh fruit alongside.

Coconut, lemon rind, and raisins are a bright surprise. "A lot of people buy my cookbook just to get this recipe," says Mrs. Wilkes.

These "cakes" are really festive cookies.

This Cambodian curry is traditionally made with beef, but Mao Sokhen says his American friends prefer the chicken variation. Though you can use any brand of Thai red curry paste and Asian fish sauce for this recipe, Mao likes the brands recommended below because he finds they produce a dish that is closer to classic Cambodian flavor.

Unsweetened coconut can be found at natural foods stores.