Starter

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Tramonto's book Fantastico! I serve this traditional side dish as an antipasto. Guess what? I like it more as a small plate to kick off a meal than as a side. On the other hand, you could serve this in larger amounts as a side dish or even instead of a pasta course. And because the ragu is even better the second day, I make a lot, so you will have leftovers. Soft polenta, blended with plenty of cheese and butter, is lusciously creamy and becomes the delicious base for the meaty mushroom and sausage ragu. This is a terrific start to a fall meal of fish and a salad. Polenta may be yellow or white; I prefer yellow because of its color and slightly earthy, intense flavor.

Trompe l'oeil as much as hors d'oeuvres, these rolls use carrot where nori would usually be at a sushi bar and boneless beef top loin instead of tuna. The pungent mustard sauce is an artful counterpoint to the sweet carrot.

Shrimp cocktail meets everyone's favorite Sunday-morning drink. In other words, this is a vodka-infused shrimp cocktail in a spoon.

It looks like a Japanese roll—but it's not! Green beans stand in for the traditional scallion; thin slices of prosciutto replace beef.

Here, a classic Spanish pairing gets reinvented as a bite-size cheese course. We're particularly enamored of the added textural contrast provided by the sliced almonds.

These sexy little bites have a flavor as sharp as Dorothy Parker's wit. And because they're toasted with butter in the oven, they taste deliciously fried (only without the regret).

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.

Here, broccoli gets turned into irresistible finger food, while silken tofu adds a creamy touch to the dairy-free dip.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Anne Willan's book The Country Cooking of France. La Truffade If you can't afford truffles, you indulge in Truffade, say the inhabitants of the Auvergne, notoriously among the coldest and most rugged areas of France. Often served with sausages, Truffade is a potato cake flavored with bacon and laden with cheese, a buttress against the worst weather. Nippy Cantal is the local hard cheese, and Gruyère may be substituted.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jean Anderson's book A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. Pickled oysters are a cocktail favorite wherever oysters are fresh, plump, and flavorful, meaning most of the South. The hostesses I know like to mound them in small crystal bowls, top them off with a little of the pickling liquid, and pass with toothpicks so that guests can "go spearfishing." Though the red serranos add color, I suggest sprigging the bowl with fresh dill umbels or sprigs of Italian parsley. Come to think of it, small fennel umbels would also be attractive and appropriate. Note: Because cooking clouds the oyster liquid, I pour it through a coffee filter–-lined sieve directly onto the oysters and spices. Makes for a prettier presentation at serving time.

Start with a large platter.

Simple to make and packed with omega-3s, this soup can be an easy weeknight supper or a sophisticated starter at a dinner party. Serve it with oyster crackers for the kids.

Kristine Subido, chef at Wave in Chicago, makes you forget about pasta.

This spicy soup from Shawn McClain, chef at Green Zebra in Chicago, is rich in immunity-enhancing vitamin A.

Papaya brings a fresh twist to the traditional tomato salsa.

The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. The low-fat, low-calorie, and vegan broth is loaded with disease-fighting herbs and spices, including ginger, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a digestive aid, cinnamon, which has been shown to help balance blood sugar, and garlic, which has powerful antimicrobial properties. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for vata and kapha doshas.

You can slice and dice the ingredients for these no-cook pizzas in advance, but serve them right after assembly so the flatbreads don't get soggy.

Rice paper is available in the Asian-foods section of many supermarkets.

The trick to this tasty combo is slicing the tomatoes ultra-thin. For added ease, buy presliced salmon at the supermarket.

Use beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes for this dish. Serve with crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio or a Provençal-style rosé.