Toast

Canadian bacon makes a great accompaniment.

Celebrate with a bottle of Champagne.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad with Caesar Dressing .

The recipe calls for both chicken broth and beef broth, but using either one or the other will give an equally good result.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This peperonata would also be delicious tossed with pasta and the small balls of mozzarella called bocconcini—and as a condiment on sandwiches.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in less than 45 minutes.

Bruschetta — a rustic Italian canapé — is the perfect vehicle for the robust flavors of late summer. Serve these topped toasts as a first course or, with a salad and a glass of wine, as a light supper.

Made with less water than is used for soft polenta, the firm polenta in this appetizer has a texture like that of dough. Make sure the work surface, rolling pin and cookie cutter are wet — otherwise, the polenta will stick.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is one of my favorite hors d'oeuvres. Normally I make them as rounds, but I have learned that you can also make them larger in sandwich form, which works very well. Any way, shape, or form, these simple toasts are the best. The onions and mayonnaise melt together under the high heat of the broiler and taste delicious. They're a great nibble to serve to get your appetite going, and they couldn't be easier to put together. I like to use a sweet Vidalia onion if I can find it.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 50 min Pasta wasn't always the carbohydrate vehicle of choice — in the '40s, lots of saucy things were spooned onto toast. These mushrooms appeared in one of our stories about Katish — the Russian cook immortalized by Gourmet's Wanda E. Ivanoff — who liked their versatility as a side dish or main course, and who often made a big batch to keep on hand for impromptu snacks.