Bon Appétit

Offer some butter cookies alongside this dessert, which makes a lovely presentation.

Market Tip: Pick well-trimmed ribs with a thick solid portion of meat on the bone.

Chef Suzanne Goin prepares this dish with Taylor Bay Scallops in the shell, but it's also delicious with regular bay scallops, which are more widely available. Be sure to use a good amontillado, the medium-dry Sherry that is lightly aged to give it a mellow, nutty flavor. What to drink: Condrieu, an aromatic Rhône white made with Viognier grapes.

Also nice with crudités and grilled chicken.

The brownie is really more like a flourless chocolate cake. It puffs as it bakes, and falls and cracks as it cools.

This sensational caramel filling complements any kind of nut, so mix and match to suit your own taste.

(PASTA PICCANTE CON POMODORI E RUCOLA) Fresh-tasting, easy to make and perfect for weekday entertaining.

A flavorful filling in an elegant dessert.

Old-fashioned (and high fat) favorites take a lighter turn when prepared with nonfat yogurt or low-fat mayonaise; radishes and herbs give the eggs a modern twist.

Whole roasted salmon always makes an impressive main course. Be sure to have the salmon cleaned when buying it. Begin preparing the fish the day before the party. Serve Champagne to keep things festive.

(TORTA DI RISO CON COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE) This flourless dessert is popular, especially on the Po River plain. The texture is more like that of a rice pudding than that of a cake. The compote is a refreshing partner. For a treat, uncork a semisweet Lambrusco.

A tangy, refreshing take on summer's classic back-yard side dish.

Serve this with white rice for a dinnertime side dish or alongside ham and eggs for a satisfying breakfast.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Lisa Amundsen of Vancouver, British Columbia, writes: "On a recent trip to New York City, my husband and I stayed near Amy's Bread bakery. We sampled their excellent selection of breads, sandwiches, and sweets. We especially loved the grilled cheese sandwich. It was a little tangy, a little spicy, and altogether wonderful."

Nowhere are vegetables as important as they are in Sicily, and few vegetables are as popular-or have as long a history-as the eggplant. There are said to be hundreds of ways to prepare it. Peppers and artichokes are almost as well loved and common. A country cook often gets produce from a small kitchen garden called an "urtu".