Gourmet

The cake layers are brushed with Strega, an Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and flowers. Removing the torte from the freezer an hour before serving allows the whipped-cream frosting to soften, while the filling remains frozen.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chilpachole de Jaiba This typical dish is adapted from a recipe given to us by our official guide, Ricardo Muñoz. Although picking the crabmeat is time-consuming (enlist a friend to help), you will be rewarded with a truly exceptional soup.

A typical Israeli breakfast selection would include this salad (either already prepared or with the vegetables available), the pita bread, and Za'atar along with fresh goat's — or cow's — milk cheeses, yogurt, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and avocados (in season).

"My fondest memories of growing up in the South are of times spent with my Alabama grandmother, Gorda Dyson," says Sandra Crook of Jacksonville, Florida. "In the afternoon we would retire to the front porch, sip iced tea, and eat traditional English biscuits, which we called tea cakes. She would tell me stories of her youth, and I felt so grown-up and special. I hope you enjoy the recipe." Sandra Crook serves her tea cakes warm, when they're nice and chewy, with jam or with strawberries and cream. When cooled and left unadorned, they become crisp and buttery sugar cookies. She uses the southerner's favorite flour, White Lily, which gives the tea cakes a wonderful crispness, but we also had good results when we tested the recipe with cake flour (self-rising).

"This delicious cookie was created by Anna Pieklo, a Polish immigrant who came to this country at the turn of the century," writes Diana Treese of St. Cloud, Florida. "My family is also Polish, and I love making these at Christmastime." Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

"My boyfriend and I can't get enough of the Caribbean and Latin foods at Babalu's in St. Louis," writes Traci Anderson of St. Louis, MO. "We love the curry-coconut steamed mussels. Is it possible to persuade the chef to share his secret?" Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koosé in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre. Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr