Food Processor

My mom worked full-time as a physical therapist, yet prepared dinner each night for our family of five. By necessity, she was the queen of the shortcut. Mom served these quick and simple hazelnut cookies when we had company. The dough freezes well, so the recipe can easily be doubled to keep on hand for entertaining. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes chilling)

In a classic confit, meat cooks (and is then preserved) in its own fat. Here, lemons cook in their own juices to become the basis for an overnight marinade.

Steam sugar snap peas and pour a Chardonnay to go with this dinner.

At the restaurant, the lamb is served with cilantro-corn mashed potatoes.

A brandied custard filling makes a wonderful backdrop for ripe apricots.

This rib-sticking soup makes a fine meal, especially with a salad alongside. See how to dice potatoes.

This is like a light-textured cheesecake. It needs to chill overnight, so plan ahead.

Bow tie-shaped pasta is mixed with Thai-flavored pesto sauce and tossed with cooked shrimp for a fast, colorful entrée.

A lovely combination of apricots and cherries tops a tender crust in this great summertime treat. Serve it with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Any nut can be substituted for the pine nuts. Toast them for fuller flavor.

This recipe is used to prepare Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Chick-Pea and Eggplant Purée and Mushrooms. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This wintry soup can be enhanced with any sausage you like. We find it a great dish in which to use the lowfat turkey sausages now available. The blue cheese corn bread and a green salad make ideal accompaniments. Finish with ripe pears.

"On my last birthday, I enjoyed a special dinner at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta," says Diane Sullivan of Alpharetta, Georgia. "The entire meal was fabulous, but the white bean soup with truffle oil was absolutely divine." White truffle oil, should you happen to have a bottle of it, is a delicious "garnish" for this rich and hearty soup.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a savory and simple dinner, serve this trout with some roasted potatoes and a green salad tossed with pears and crumbled blue cheese.

Chef Lisa Ahier likes the flavor of Key limes or Mexican limes, which she can buy locally and year-round, for the marinade below. But even if you use regular lime juice, you'll love this chicken, which is as delicious at room temperature as it is hot. In fact, Gourmet's food editors couldn't get enough of it.