Lemon

We know these monster biscuits look like gougères on steroids, but we promise there are no illicit performance-enhancing ingredients at work here: just an egg-rich batter that (naturally) bakes up big.

Our Europe correspondent, Alexander Lobrano, was wary of working with pastry long before attending his course at Les Petits Farcis, in Nice. "This recipe is really genius," he says. "I'm more of a savory/stewing type of cook, but this is so easy and works so well that it's become a staple for me." Olive oil in the crust gives it a rich, crumbly texture, and the zing of the lemon filling really steals the show.

Our Australia correspondent, Pat Nourse, attended the Sydney Seafood School. The combination of flavors here is quintessentially Australian, inspired by far-flung sources and joined together in a unique way. The brininess of preserved lemons brings out the sweetness of the king crab you'll find in each twirl of pasta.

This frozen treat is low in calories and fat. You can top it with mango and crystallized ginger, if desired. If freezing overnight, thaw briefly in the microwave, stopping to stir, or let the frozen yogurt stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

This is a traditional Tuscan method—bricks weigh down the butterflied chicken, resulting in even, quick cooking and crispy skin (you'll need two bricks for this recipe; wrap them in foil). If you don't have bricks, a cast-iron skillet will do the trick. Ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken for you.

The inner stalks of celery and fennel, plus soft chunks of mozzarella, add up to a clean, cool salad that's quite striking (the name, which refers to a "woman in white," alludes to its pale hues).

Almonds and matzo cake meal make a wonderfully textured crust for this refreshing, citrusy cheesecake. After Passover, instead of pulling out the graham crackers again, experiment with other cookie crusts such as one made with shortbread.

A bit more decadent, and dare we say subtle, than standard limoncello, this smooth, rich "cream" version (though made with only 1 % milk) will wow your guests every time.

A zingy lemon tart gains an Italian accent with a crisp, almond-perfumed crust.

Savor healthy sweets

These individual desserts get their bright flavor from lemon juice, lemon peel, and a lemon curd topping.

These gorgeous cupcakes have a sweet surprise inside: They're filled with a dollop of raspberry jam. Half of the cupcakes have a pale yellow lemon glaze; the rest are topped with a pink raspberry-lemon glaze.

A little bit of olive oil makes this cake especially moist.

This classic French dessert relies on eggs for its pool of rich custard and its islands of soft meringue. In this easy and updated version, the meringue is baked instead of poached, and the custard is enhanced with lemon and a scattering of raspberries.

Though Treviso is recognized as the birthplace of tiramisù, the precise origins of this phenomenally popular dessert are shrouded in mystery. Imagine my excitement, then, when my friend Celeste Tonon, proprietor of Ristorante da Celeste, passed on to me the original procedures for making this luscious assemblage of ladyfingers (savoiardi) and Mascarpone cream, which Celeste learned from his mentor Speranza Garatti, the true mother of tiramisù, he claims. Her creation was made and served in individual portions, in a goblet or coppa, which I suspect gave rise to its name, which means "pick me up" in the Venetian dialect. One of the delights of making tiramisù is its versatility. This recipe makes a family-style dessert in a large dish, but you can easily compose single servings in dessert glasses, wine goblets, or even elegant teacups for a more impressive presentation, in the style of Signora Garatti's original "coppa imperiale." And while the conventional version of tiramisù calls for espresso-soaked savoiardi, I've found that other flavors can be incorporated into the dessert with great success. Here, the brightness of fresh lemons and limoncello liqueur lace the cream and soaking syrup to make for a tiramisù that is refreshing and irresistible.

The soufflés can be assembled up to four hours ahead; chill until ready to bake.

Each of these incredibly tender golden puffs is like a warm little gift—break one open and be rewarded with the aroma of oranges and rose water. They're typically a yeast-leavened street food; Zadi's use of a choux paste "is a special touch, more for home cooking," he says. "And almond sugar belongs in the Algerian pastry lexicon."

A dish to convert all the Brussels sprout haters. By cooking the sprouts only briefly, you preserve their great nutty flavor. This side pairs nicely with roasted rack of lamb or whole chicken. For a Middle Eastern-flavored meal, rub either meat with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper before cooking.