Food Processor

For a luxurious brunch, split open these rich biscuits and top them with smoked salmon, cream cheese and caviar.

A splash of aquavit is the finishing touch to this practically-no-fat starter.

Alternating layers of strawberry and white chocolate mousses form stripes in this creamy frozen dessert.

Annatto seed seasoning paste

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These individual Pavlovas are inspired by the popular Australian dessert (named for the Russian ballerina), which combines crisp meringue with whipped cream and assorted fruit. It's easy to form the cups with a pastry bag, but if you don't have one, try this technique: Drop the meringue by half-cupfuls onto the baking sheets, then use the back of a spoon to create a deep, wide indentation in the center of each.

Roasting tones down the sharpness of the fennel and enhances the sweetness of the pears in this salad. The pears also combine with balsamic vinegar to make a delicious dressing without much added fat.

A festive and refreshing dessert.

Hoop cheese is available at Jewish delicatessens and in the refrigerated deli section of some supermarkets.

In this dessert, buttery pastry shells enclose a silky dark chocolate ganache filling highlighted with fresh lemon.

Crushed berries and cream over ice — of all the frappés, this is my favorite.

"One of the most unusual restaurants in our area is Kemo Sabe," says Laura Bates of San Diego, California. "Co-chef and co-owner Deborah Scott combines influences from around the world to create interesting dishes—including the restaurant’s signature appetizer of fried Brie with jalapeño jelly. I’d love to serve it to my friends." Place a small bowl of jalapeño jelly on a platter, and surround it with fried Brie wedges and French bread slices for a lovely presentation. Chef Scott makes her own jalapeño jelly; the purchased kind is an easy substitute.