Citrus

Enlivened with crisp water chestnuts and fresh cilantro, these delicate Asian-inspired veal and pork meatballs are a world away from their Italian counterpart — but they're just as moist and irresistible.

A quick confection, this cake bakes in just 30 minutes. Translation: You'll be enjoying a homemade dessert with a light crumb and smooth glaze in no time.

A seasonal abundance of peas means more for everyone. This easy side dish keeps them snappy and fresh with aromatic tarragon and lemon zest.

The Caipirinha is Brazil's most popular cocktail. The drink is traditionally made with limes, but Amber uses tangerines instead.

These tasty little tea cakes are a perfect match for the Lime and Lemon Posset.

"Posset" refers to an old English drink made in a way that's similar to this simple pudding. This dessert delivers great results with little effort.

Halloumi, a firm mild Cypriot cheese popular in Greece, can be placed directly into a dry nonstick skillet or onto a grill and cooked. The outside will get brown and crisp; the inside will be soft and melted. Serve right away.

An unusual combination of flavors — sweet, savory, and briny.

This simple preparation puts the focus on the fabulous seafood.

Mangoes are used two ways in this Indian dish — grilled with the chicken and tossed into rice.

This recipe was created by Melissa Murphy of the Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn, New York. Begin making the cake layers at least 2 days, and up to 2 weeks, before serving.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. . This traditional wine punch presents the opportunity to turn robust jug wine and fresh seasonal fruits into a festive party drink. The recipe includes a mix of firm fruits (such as seedless grapes, apple slices, pear slices) and soft fruits (like strawberries, peaches, and kiwi). The soft fruits are added to the glasses at serving time.

Ensalada de jícama con melón Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. For more on Cinco de Mayo, click here. Chef Miguel Ravago also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Although many fresh condiments in Mexican cuisine are called pico de gallo ("rooster's beak"), this refreshing salad from the Mexican state of Jalisco is known as Pico de Gallo. Depending on the seasonal availability of fresh fruit, Miguel has found that the salad is equally good made with Rio Star grapefruit, pineapple, blood oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon. The contrast of sweet fruit, crunchy jícama, tangy lime juice, and a little dash of chili powder makes for a delightful palate cleanser.

Their sweetness tempered by the tang of lemon zest, these little macaroons are the ideal dessert when you're short on time and still craving a fast, fresh ending to dinner.

Chicken legs, with their moist, succulent dark meat, are ideal for many cooking methods. For a last-minute dish that's abundant with the flavors of spring, we roast them with thyme, garlic, and lemon.

Trompe L'Oeil "Egg" Talk about playing with your food. Our editors were doing double takes when they saw this dessert in the test kitchen — and we can guarantee that even your most eagle-eyed guests will do the same.

Look for tender greens, such as mâche, Boston, and red leaf lettuces, which appear in farmers' markets at this time of year. Or, as an alternative, use premixed baby greens.

This lightly sweet, tangy bread pudding is a snap to assemble. Feel free to use any kind of white bread you like — presliced sandwich bread (cut into 1-inch pieces) will give a smoother texture, while cubes of French or Italian bread with their crusts will make the pudding chunkier.

Editor's note: This recipe was created by chef Einat Admony for an Israeli Passover menu. Carp, a common ingredient in traditional Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, has become something of a rarity in the United States as cooks have stopped making dishes such as gefilte fish from scratch. In Israel, says chef Admony, this variety is still popular, used to make everything from Tunisian fish balls to Moroccan spicy fish. In this recipe, Admony riffs on classic gefilte fish, transforming the boiled dumplings into pan-fried cakes served with a creamy, piquant sauce.

The perfect ending to a springtime brunch. Use the best strawberries you can find for that "real berry" flavor.