Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A sophisticated and easy-to-make salad.

Green papaya salad in all its regional variations - often flavored with pork, beef, or shrimp (as below)-is hugely popular throughout Southeast Asia. The dish is made from unripe Southeast Asian papayas, which have firm white flesh and white seeds. The current popularity of Vietnamese and Thai food in the United States has increased these papayas' availability, although it is still generally limited to Asian markets. Such papayas can grow to the size of cantaloupes or larger and range in shape from oval to round. Look for rock-hard dark green fruit without a trace of pink or yellow blush. If you don't see any, ask (some shopkeepers do not display them). Those who can't find the right kind of papaya might skip the salad or substitute seedless (European) cucumbers despite the repetition with the main course. Those who can find Southeast Asian green papayas will be treated to a salad that our food editors found irresistible.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Be sure to serve this with thick slices of good bread to soak up the dressing.

For an easy and informal dinner, make a salad and some rice to go alongside this bubbling cheese mixture known as queso fundido. Each diner spoons some of the cheese into warm tortillas. This can also be served as an appetizer at parties. Mix up some Margaritas to add to the fun.

Often used in southwestern and Mexican cooking, the crunchy, green hulled pumpkin seeds called pepitas add delightful texture to this smooth soup. Uncork a Gewürztraminer.

In the state of Yucatán in southeastern Mexico, lime soup is served on even the hottest days. The fresh taste of the cilantro and the sourness of the lime combine to give the soup plenty of zing.

This is a sophisticated first course. The soup is also nice without the lobster. Uncork a Chardonnay or a French Sancerre.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Because these crab cakes are made with lots of crab meat and not much filler, they require gentle handling during cooking, but the results are well worth the extra effort. At the restaurant '21' the chef makes decorative squiggles with the chili mayonnaise using a plastic squeeze-bottle of the type used for ketchup at hot dog stands.

In this easy starter, a mix of tangy blue cheese, chopped toasted walnuts and peppery arugula makes a delicious topping for baguette toasts.