Nut

Gaze at rings on your left hand. Remember how, when you were single in New York and men made rude remarks to you on the street, you'd dream about the day your boyfriend would put an engagement ring on your finger. Those trips with your friend, Megan, to Tiffany's—how the diamonds sparkled under glass. And so, my friend, it comes to this: Orientalish pasta salad for the kabillionth time.

(TARTE AU CITRON)

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(TARTE D'ABRICOTS AU MIEL ET AUX AMANDES) In early summer, apricots are abundant in Provence; here, we've called for canned apricots, which are always available.

"Mimosa, a delightful French bistro in Los Angeles, has a catchy motto: 'No Truffles, No Caviar, No Bizarre Concoctions,'" says Bob Woods of Garden Grove, California. "The food is spectacular, and the setting is lovely. After dinner one evening, I had a slice of meringue with custard sauce, caramel sauce and candied almonds, a dessert called Île Flottante." Mimosa's version of this classic French dessert is impressive in presentation and taste. Note that you can prepare the caramel sauce, the custard and the almonds a day ahead. Be sure to reserve the egg yolks for use in the custard sauce.

Kugels are baked puddings that come in many forms; Their base may be noodles, matzo, or bread or cake crumbs; most are sweet but some are savory; and they may be served warm or cold. Traditionally part of Jewish sabbath and holiday meals, slightly sweet noodle kugels are often served as a side dish. The following kugel would also work well as a dessert.

Nougat is an egg white, honey and nut confection traditional in the city of Montélimar, in the Rhône Valley. It is one of the 13 sweets offered to churchgoers on Christmas Eve. Start making this impressive dessert at least one day before you plan to serve it, although it can be prepared up to one week ahead.

"I love green vegetables and always make an effort to do something special with them for dinner parties," says Jeanne Thiel Kelley, contributing editor to Bon Appétit. "Brussels sprouts are a Thanksgiving staple at our house, and this year I'm dressing them up with colorful golden beets that I buy at farmers' markets, as well as crunchy turnips and sautéed hazelnuts. For convenience, the vegetables can be cooked a day ahead and then reheated. You can use regular beets instead of golden, but they should be sautéed separately and combined with the other vegetables just before serving, or the beets will turn everything red."

My grandmother Marie "Nanney" Spivey (I am her namesake) always doubles this family favorite and uses two pie shells. She says, "Everybody loves it. You can stir it up in five minutes."

The mix of flavors in this side dish is great with broiled lamb chops or roast chicken.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

This dish is a particularly good accompaniment to beef or lamb. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

"My profession as a real estate agent requires a lot of my time," writes Edi Meadows Morrissette of Westin, Florida, "so it helps that I am lightning-fast in the kitchen. I cook every day, and on the weekends I sometimes make three meals a day. I accomplish that by following my main cooking principles: (1) do a lot of prep work, and (2) keep the kitchen well stocked. For example, at holiday time I might chop onions in advance or bake bread the day before company arrives. And since I converted the bedroom next to my kitchen into a pantry for extra storage, I know I'll always have the right ingredients at my fingertips." The addition of fresh orange pieces is a lovely variation on the holiday condiment. Begin two hours or up to three days ahead.

Nut pies can be very sweet — mixing in tart cranberries keeps everything in check.