5 Ingredients or Fewer

Use vanilla sugar to make Bittersweet Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake and Hazelnut Gâteau Breton.

These hearty cheese crisps, known as frico in Friuli, are a popular starter and snack. This recipe calls for Montasio, a hard cheese made from cow's milk. Ask to have the rind removed and the cheese grated (it's that hard). If you can't find Montasio, imported or domestic Asiago cheese is a good substitute.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, go to Summer Cooking Guides. This is the perfect chocolate sorbet — very rich and full of bittersweet chocolate flavor. Use a top-quality cocoa powder; it will make a huge difference. And be sure to use a large saucepan, since the mixture will bubble up as it boils.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Extreme Barbecue: Smokin' Rigs and Real Good Recipes, by Dan Huntley and Lisa Grace Lednicer. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, go to Summer Cooking Guides. Smoking whole fish on the grill is deliciously rewarding, and if you haven't tried it before, you'll be surprised at how easy it is — and quick, compared to pork or chicken. There's no brining or curing here — essentially, the fish is "baked" in a tantalizing chamber of wood smoke. Hickory will flavor the fish strongly; you may prefer a milder wood such as oak. Feel free to substitute bass, flounder, catfish, bream, crappie, or whatever good-tasting fish you have available.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Lobel's Prime Time Grilling: Recipes & Tips from America's #1 Butchers, by Stanley, Leon, Evan, Mark and David Lobel. Sausage varies wildly in quality and seasonings. Buy your favorite hot Italian sausage from a butcher or shop you know and like. If you prefer, use another kind of sausage meat, flavored as you prefer, but use the best money can buy.

This recipe was created by chef Michael Kornick of MK Restaurant in Chicago. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This recipe was created by Melissa Murphy of the Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn, New York. To fill, frost, and decorate the Lemon-Raspberry Wedding Cake, you'll need to make this recipe three times. For each batch, be sure to use a mixing bowl that can hold at least 5 quarts.

The sweetness of the Sherry used in this creamy pepper sauce (usually made with Cognac) makes it the perfect partner for pork chops.

Adding watercress to potato salad gives this old standby new life. We particularly like the contrast of the crisp, peppery green against the warm, vinegar- and mustard-spiced potatoes.

Good old-fashioned rump roast scores two points: It has great beefy flavor, and it's less expensive than other cuts. Similar to a chimichurri, the springlike green sauce adds punch without requiring much effort.

Their sweetness tempered by the tang of lemon zest, these little macaroons are the ideal dessert when you're short on time and still craving a fast, fresh ending to dinner.

Chicken legs, with their moist, succulent dark meat, are ideal for many cooking methods. For a last-minute dish that's abundant with the flavors of spring, we roast them with thyme, garlic, and lemon.

Blasting cauliflower florets in a hot oven concentrates their natural sweetness, turning them into something akin to vegetable candy.

Don't be fooled by the short ingredients list; these vegetarian black beans have a surprisingly complex flavor. Since I can't use a meaty bone or lard for a boost, I rely on my trusty trinity of Sherry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce, three power ingredients that play well together. The pressure cooker makes cooked-from-scratch beans easily feasible for a spur-of-the-moment supper, though I still prefer to cook up a pot on the weekend; beans thicken as they stand, so by making them ahead and thinning them before serving, I actually get more. This recipe serves as the base for two different meals: I set aside half for flavorful beans and rice and purée the other half into a hearty soup spiked with additional Sherry and lime juice.

Juicy pineapple with a nip of rum and ginger is a sophisticated compote that complements bites of the pecan spice cake (recipe precedes) but also makes a satisfying light dessert on its own.

Though they're a nod to the classic pairing of cooking greens with a ham hock, these gently bitter greens have several important differences: Because they are blanched rather than braised, they hold their intense color; bacon crumbled over the top, rather than cooked with the greens, retains its crispness; and smoky chipotle gives the dish an alluring heat.

Generations of southerners have tucked fresh hot chiles into vinegar for a pungent homemade hot sauce that sits right next to the salt and pepper on the table. Drizzled over gumbo, red beans and rice, or anything fried, it both balances out and punches up any other flavors it's paired with. The adventurous should feel free to pluck a pepper out of the jar and eat it alongside the meal — it's fine southern form. Doctored with a little sugar and red pepper flakes, it's amazing on the cheddar rice fritters.