Bon Appétit

The title refers to the black and green olives featured in this piquant dish.

The crostini can be assembled two hours ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to broil and serve.

A lovely first-course salad. Pears contribute sweetness to the dish; the Italian bacon called pancetta adds a nice salty crunch.

Heres a cool combination thats excellent with salmon. Because the bulgur is not cooked, it needs to sit overnight in the dressing to soften, so begin preparing it a day ahead.

A perfect accompaniment for cocktails. Most of the prep work here can be done ahead.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Variations on the grilled chicken salad were everywhere in recent years. Likewise, balsamic vinegar dressings and marinades often turned up on menus, olivada (olive paste) became a pantry staple, packaged salad greens were popular convenience items, and fennel and radicchio became regulars in the produce bins.

The big bowl and tireless motor of a standing mixer take the heavy work out of preparing these tender brioche loaves.

Using a handheld blender to puree the soup right in the pot makes it easier to prepare. If the celery root is stringy, press the soup through a strainer.

A simplified version of a nineteenth-century stew that originated in Virginia and included squirrel. Today, diced cooked potatoes are sometimes added.

Here, sliced fresh peaches and a rich brown sugar caramel sauce accent scoops of ginger-flavored frozen mousse. Margarita glasses make terrific sundae dishes.

Sue Ellison of Edgewater, Colorado, writes: "Although I play guitar and piano, and have worked for more than 20 years as an elementary-school music teacher, at this point music is just my job; cooking is my passion. It's an interest I share with my daughter, Hannah. We do a phenomenal amount of cooking together. In fact, I think she learned how to count using chocolate chips, standing on a stool next to me at the kitchen counter while I baked chocolate croissants." Roasted pine nuts add a southwestern accent to this lightly sweetened granola. Once the granola has cooled, leave it in large chunks for a snack or crumble it into bits for a cereal topping. Either way, it will keep up to one week if stored airtight.

(PASTA CAPRESE)

This bread gets even better if stored for a day. Enjoy it toasted and buttered for breakfast.