Snack

"While vacationing in Vero Beach, Florida, I had a magnificent meal at Tangos," writes Peter Colley of Silver Creek, Colorado. "The food presentation was superb, and the outdoor patio made for a very romantic dining experience. I would like to have the recipe for the divine baked crab, Brie, and artichoke dip."

If you make the components of this hors d'oeuvre ahead, stir together the filling ingredients just before serving the first batch. Keep the remaining filling chilled, covered, and spoon it into the remaining cucumber cups as platters need replenishing.

Yogurt gives this dip a refreshing tang.

The Spanish sauce known as romesco is usually high in fat; this version contains less oil, but just as much flavor.

The fruit juices blend with the sugar, spices, and orange-flower water to create a lovely syrup. What to drink: Orange Muscat wines (such as Essencia) would be perfect with this.

It's hard to believe that this sweet, crunchy, and smoky salsa has only six calories per serving.

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

Indian spices have been part of Scandinavian cuisine for hundreds of years thanks to the region's thriving shipping trade.

In manor-house cooking, meat, poultry, and fish were preserved by being "potted" — minced and combined with seasonings, then packed in a container and covered with a layer of fat or butter. The fat was removed before serving, and the contents of the container spread on toasts or crackers.

My mom worked full-time as a physical therapist, yet prepared dinner each night for our family of five. By necessity, she was the queen of the shortcut. Mom served these quick and simple hazelnut cookies when we had company. The dough freezes well, so the recipe can easily be doubled to keep on hand for entertaining. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes chilling)

Founded in Boston in the nineteenth century, Schrafft's shops soon became renowned for the quality of their candies, ice creams, and especially their cookies. Eventually they opened several stores in New York City, but according to food writer and food historian Judith Jones, true Schrafft's cookie aficionados believed that the Boston version of their oatmeal cookies was superior, and so they would travel to Boston by train to buy them. This recipe is based on the original Schrafft's formula but I've added some dark brown sugar for the rich color and flavor that it imparts. This is a soft, pleasantly chewy cookie, with plenty of raisins and nuts.

Oysters were very much a part of American life in Colonial days, and were cooked in every conceivable manner — boiled, scalloped or steamed; turned into pies and fritters; or, in the winter in Savannah, roasted over an open fire. Here they're presented on the half shell, with shallots, green onions and vinegar.

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The small, sweet Meyer lemon, common in California backyards, has a thin, smooth skin and a juice interior and is particularly fragrant. These scones, which are lighter than most, will spread slightly during baking.