Simmer

Bill Borger created this rich dessert and its decadent sauce.

A nice side would be polenta or mashed potatoes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Refrigerate these silky puddings for at least six hours and up to one day before serving.

Onioned Tuna Soup I first tasted this soup at La Canoa, a restaurant in Guayaquil, Ecuador. They prepared the tuna in the popular style of leaving it mostly rare, then they added it to the soup right before serving. When we serve the soup at the Patria, we use all the meaty trimmings from the tuna steaks we've served as full portions.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(SPUMONE AL CIOCCOLATO E MANDORLE) Here's an elegant dessert of Neapolitan origin that manages to be rich and light at the same time. Its airy texture is reflected in its name, which comes from the Italian word for foam, spuma.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Pear Charlottes with Chamomile Crème Anglaise .

A quick and easy side dish that goes well with roast chicken, turkey or pork chops.

A simple lemon and oil dressing-which works with just about any fresh vegetable-turns some of your garden's finest into a light summer pasta salad. Serve it in lettuce cups for a nice presentation.

Most people never think about cooking cucumber—especially since that crisp, raw crunch is so perfect for salads and canapés. But cucumber acquires a wonderful velvety texture when cooked and puréed, and this soup shows it off beautifully. Even better, the flavor and color of this soup are at their best when it is warm, not hot, which takes some of the stress out of serving ten guests.