Food Processor

This torte is a masterful mix of textures: The top crust bakes up with a hint of crackly crunch, giving way to a moist, light interior studded with tiny bits of hazelnut.

The pesto works well as a sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish, too.

We've lightened traditional meatballs with veal and added Mediterranean accents to achieve a bright, springtime flavor. Chicken broth and matzo meal take the place of milk and bread crumbs to keep the meatballs exceptionally tender.

Improv: Skip the maple syrup and chopped ginger and add a couple of teaspoons of fresh lime juice.

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

A hearty, old-fashioned-style pie. Delicious with vanilla ice cream. A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.

Crème fraîche is a cultured cream with a rich, silky texture and a nutty, tangy flavor that's well worth seeking out for this recipe. Look for it at some supermarkets and in the dairy section of specialty foods stores. Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery.

The entrée and side dish roast together for a quick yet elegant meal.

Creton
Quebec breakfast at its best, this pâté-like spread is a treat on toast or crackers anytime.

This fusion of many Sephardic recipes makes an extremely realistic “mortar.” The nuts and spices can be varied to suit individual tastes.

Australian crystallized ginger is especially moist; it's sold at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores.

Joe Miller of Glasgow, Montana, writes: "Though this recipe was introduced to me by a college friend from Anchorage, it originated — generations ago — in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today, it is a Miller family tradition." Featuring the crunch of toffee, the creaminess of chocolate (a combination of milk and bittersweet), and a finishing sprinkle of walnuts, this sweet snack has all the bases covered.