Nut

Brushed with sweet orange syrup, filled with almond cream, and covered with toasted almonds, even the most run-of-the-mill store-bought croissants are transformed into something heavenly.

The crunchy crumb topping contrasts nicely with the orange-scented sweet-potato puree. Sweet paprika adds a touch of heat.

Serve this on its own, or use it for chalupas, tacos, or nachos.

Connie Capani of Binghamton, New York, writes:"I am 100 percent Italian, so perhaps it's no surprise that I love food: To Italians, it's like a security blanket. I learned how to make spaghetti and other Abruzzi favorites from my mother. Looking at food magazines is what got me interested in venturing out into American culinary territory. I wanted to know how to make a "gravy" that didn't include tomatoes. These days, I work only part-time as a substitute teacher, but I still don't want to be in the kitchen the whole time when my husband and I entertain. " Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

These nut meringues are also called erstesternen ("first stars"), a reference to the heavenly signs indicating the end of a fast day. They are traditionally served by German Jews at the meal following Yom Kippur.

"Out of necessity, I've developed a love for quick cooking," writes Judy Wilkins of Tyler, Texas. "Between my musician's hours (nights and weekends as an accompanist for local choral groups) and teacher's hours (daytime piano lessons), my schedule can be nuts. When I do have the chance to cook dinner on a weeknight, whatever I make can't take too long — and it has to taste great."

This light, refreshing salad is from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Moroccan Lamb Kebabs.

"My mother and I spent a recent afternoon shopping in Gruene, a small town not far from Austin," writes Martha Witebsky of Austin, Texas. "We loved the tender, fruity cake we had at the River House Tea Room. Would chef Carol Hill share the recipe for what she calls Hummingbird Cake?"

While staying at the Hotel Villa Flori, which overlooks Italy's Lake Como, I had an outstanding pasta with a chunky pesto sauce," says Patty Owens of Walnut Creek, California. "Is there any chance the chef would share the recipe?" This pesto sauce includes walnuts, a variation on the classic recipe. To give the dish a creamy quality, add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.

Great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tah-dig—the crunchy crust of rice on the bottom of the pot—is considered by many to be the prize of Persian rice. Here it is rivaled by the surprise of pistachios, whose natural sweetness is brought out by the dill.

Reminiscent of fragrant Mexican chocolate (which is spiced with cinnamon), and as fudgy as a chocolate truffle, this dessert will serve many more than six, but leftovers will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.

If mini pita breads are unavailable in your area, split larger pita breads horizontally in half and cut out smaller pita rounds using a 3-inch-diameter biscuit cutter. You can streamline the process by preparing both the chicken salad and the toasted pita rounds one day in advance.

If you like the candies called Turtles, you'll love this tart. It needs to be refrigerated at least eight hours before serving.

Nuts, lemon juice, and fresh herbs punch up this terrific side dish.

Ice cream at its easiest: crystallized ginger is mixed into softened vanilla ice cream.