Citrus

At Brigtsen's in New Orleans, chef Frank Brigtsen makes a version of this dish with duck, accompanied by corn bread and pickled onions. Offer those sides as well as some green beans, then finish with pecan pie. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These not-too-sweet cookies are based on an old recipe seldom seen these days. Although the combination of almonds, honey and cinnamon is still a typical one, contemporary Neapolitan biscotti tend to be less aggressively flavored.

The seafood is cooked in lime juice and fish sauce, making this oil-free salad perfect for a low-fat lunch.

The Strait of Messina is a rich source for swordfish, which the Sicilians prepare in many ways. Here it is at its simplest: grilled and served with salmoriglio sauce. (In Sicilian, it is sammurigghiu sauce.) The words means "brine", a translation that does not convey the taste or texture of this cooked blend of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. Serve with bread and pour a white wine, preferably Sicilian. For dessert, offer cannoli from the bakery.

This moist Christmas cake takes its cues from the flavors and spices found in the classic Lebkuchen cookie. It's brushed with an orange-scented honey syrup, frosted with a creamy white chocolate icing and then surrounded by sliced almonds.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This old-fashioned dessert separates into two delicious layers while baking - a moist sponge cake and a light custard.

In Italy a no-cook pasta sauce is known as salsa cruda, and makes a wonderful one-dish dinner. In this version, the combination of artichokes, olives, capers, and lemon zest is not only beautiful, but bold in flavor.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

Alice Waters, who opened Chez Panisse in 1971, took salads to new heights with unusual, farm-fresh greens; she also popularized the use of goat cheese, which was being made by Laura Chenel not far from the Berkeley restaurant. Those ingredients come together in this delicious salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.