Yogurt

Cool and refreshing yogurt enhanced with fresh mint, cilantro and basil tops this hearty curry-flavored soup.

Two mustards mellowed with honey and yogurt make a terrific sauce for chicken — or even fish or pork. This is an ideal warm-weather dish because the sauce does't require cooking. Try boiled new potatoes on the side. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

Looks pretty and tastes great. If you can find fresh raspberries at this time of year, layer them with the other fruits.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This eggplant and lamb casserole, a taverna staple, is known the world over as the Greek national dish. In this lightened version, it's topped with yogurt rather than the customary béchamel sauce. (Moussaka is often made with beef instead of lamb.)

A word of warning: I have a friend who at first refused to eat this dish because of its color, a wild, alarming fuschia. He complained that it did not look "natural." Since then he has been persuaded. The taste, he said, won him over. This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.

Pâte de Fromage de Chèvre aux Herbes Fraîches __ Chopped edible flowers add color to the dip. You can find packaged edible flowers at specialty foods stores and in the fresh herbs section of some supermarkets. __

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.

Draining the yogurt overnight makes this low-fat guacamole extra-creamy.

"Einstein Bros. Bagels in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, sells a feta-pine nut spread that I would like to make," says Clarissa Gaasch of Andover, Minnesota. "I'm thinking it would be as good on crackers as it is on bagels."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

"Instead of staring at the ceiling one night when I was having trouble sleeping, I passed the time by baking," says Angelo Monaco of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "The result of my insomnia was this chocolate cake. It's light, moist and really delicious."

Mint and spices add a Turkish flair to this yogurt-based marinade. The flavors are perfect with lamb kebabs or chicken. It's also a good dip for crudités or pita bread. The recipe makes enough to marinate 1 1/2 pounds of lamb or chicken, with some remaining to serve on the side. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.