Salmon

Talk about deviled eggs: The decadent filling includes smoked salmon and salmon caviar. What to drink: A chilled dry rosé is refreshing; it also stands up to the sweet-sour components of this menu.

I don't know if it's because of all the hot dogs I ate on the sidewalks of New York as a kid, but I never seem to get tired of mustard. I use it as a background flavor in a lot of my sauces, but in this one mustard is front and center. Use a whole-grain mustard, such as Pommery de Meaux from France, so that your sauce has a nice crunch from the whole seeds.

This version of blini—a tribute to the Russian communities throughout the New York metropolitan area—is fast because it does not require yeast. If buckwheat flour is unavailable, whole-wheat flour makes a good substitute.

Steam sugar snap peas and pour a Chardonnay to go with this dinner.

One extremely popular fish in Bombay, India's financial center, is pomfret, found in most coastal areas of the country. In one of my favorite pomfret preparations, called patrani macchi, the fish is stuffed with an herb paste and steamed in a banana leaf—which lends a unique fragrance and makes an attractive presentation at table (but should not be eaten). As pomfret is difficult to find in most parts of the United States, we suggest salmon, which is equally delicious.

Of course, you must have toasted bagels with this. Spinach salad with apple cider dressing would be nice on the side, and warm cherry strudel is a fine finish.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 25 hr

For a nice presentation, garnish the plates with thin cucumber slices, watercress sprigs and some radishes.

These can be made one day ahead, then drizzled with the vinaigrette just before serving.

"Recently, I had dinner at the super-romantic Shadowbrook Restaurant in nearby Capitola," writes Holly M. Sharps of Menlo Park, California. "To get to Shadowbrook, you have to take a cable car down a hill. The restaurant is on several levels and has spectacular views of the ocean — not to mention great food. The salmon was absolutely delicious." The sake- and soy-based ponzu sauce is traditionally a Japanese dipping sauce. Here, it’s used to baste the fish as it cooks.

Puréeing the corn with low-fat milk gives the soup a creamy texture. Serve it as a starter or as a light main course with a green salad and crusty bread.

At breakfast time, the hash is topped with poached eggs; on the bistro menu, it is served with crème fraîche.

Serve warm croissants and an arugula and Belgian endive salad with lemon vinaigrette to accompany this dish. Baked apples with brandied whipped cream complete the meal.