Make Ahead

Favas lend a fresh note here. For the most robust flavor, use tuna packed in olive oil rather than water.

Greek cuisine is famed for its appetizer dips — no meze party would be complete without at least one.

Fatty pork is the standout ingredient in these crisp spring rolls; it adds intense flavor and a tender texture to the crab and vegetable filling. Fresh ginger and a generous amount of cilantro add kick.

If you can't find golden raspberries, simply substitute more red raspberries.

Sugar snap peas add a fresh crispness to this slaw; buttermilk dressing keeps it tangy and light and contrasts nicely with the other dishes on this menu. And it's so easy to make. We bet that, after a taste, you'll never rely on that mayonnaisey deli slaw again.

Though this recipe owes a debt to that icon of childhood desserts, Jell-O with whipped cream, the interplay of floral passion fruit and herbal basil is nothing if not elegant.

To call this bracing pink drink a rhubarb-infused ginger ale doesn't do it justice; it's much less syrupy-sweet and more cooling. The slightly tart flavor of rhubarb pairs well with lush picnic dishes.

Though they're the kind of thing you tell yourself you're making for kids, the way these sweet and slightly salty cookies go a little chewy when they absorb the ice cream will definitely inspire mature palates as well. This recipe is also delightfully devoid of fuss; you simply make one big sandwich and then cut it into small pieces.

If you can't find white peaches and nectarines, this dessert would also be lovely made with the yellow varieties.

This frozen dessert, based on the sweet flavors of Vietnamese coffee, will have adults clamoring like children. Each slice delivers an over-the-top mix of ice cream, fudge, and cookie crust.

(Mole Negro de Teotitlán) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Zarela Martinez's book The Food and Life of Oaxaca. Martinez also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Martinez and Oaxacan cuisine, click here. Mole Negro is the state dish of Oaxaca, the king of moles. It also happens to be the most difficult to make. People pride themselves on their own different touches, and family recipes are passed down as heirlooms. Market stands specializing in moles all proclaim that their version is the best. This recipe is an adaptation of a version made by my friend and culinary mentor Zoyla Mendoza, who has given me such insight into the cooking of the Valley Zapotecs. When she made it for me at her home in Teotitlán del Valle, she first toasted the chiles, nuts, and spices and sent them out to a nearby mill to be ground. Meanwhile, she pounded the tomatoes and other moist ingredients in her big stone mortar, to be combined later with the nut and spice paste. Less sweet than many other versions, her Mole Negro is spicy and intense — I love the sprightly taste of fresh ginger. Increase the amount of clove and thyme in the recipe if you wish. Zoyla used much more of both than I do. Though Zoyla's version of Mole Negro is less complex then some, it shows the crucial "blackening" feature of most black moles. For years I'd made versions that turned out no blacker than dark red. An offhand remark revealed what I was doing wrong. "Queman los chiles" ("They burn the chiles"), a Juchitecan woman casually told me when I asked her. My instinct said that it would turn the whole dish bitter, so I'd just been toasting the chiles lightly. But in Oaxaca it is normal to make Mole Negro by first separating the seeds from the dried chiles, then toasting the chiles to an absolute crisp and literally burning — BURNING — the seeds. Zoyla also follows this procedure. The bitterness disappears through soaking and extended cooking. Because the pungent fumes can leave you gasping and call down the wrath of neighbors in city apartment buildings, it is wise to attempt this recipe only if you can do the worst part (burning the seeds) outdoors or with a good exhaust fan going full blast. You should also work out an advance plan for the final grinding of the paste. You can either combine all the ingredients and process them in several batches in the blender or assign part of the task (the chiles, nuts, and spices that Zoyla sent out to the mill) to the food processor. Read the recipe through carefully in advance, and decide which strategy you prefer. (The processor alone will definitely give the wrong texture.) This sauce is popular with enchiladas and shows up in chicken, turkey, or pork tamales. But the age-old way of eating black mole is with boiled turkey. In this country, use turkey parts like wings or drumsticks and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes in a small amount of stock, then finish cooking in the sauce for another 30 to 40 minutes. Please note that when served in this manner with poultry or other meats, the sauce should be thinned to a fairly light consistency. When it is used as a filling, it must be dense and thick.

This recipe originally accompanied Lobster Curry. Quinces were once so prolific that they were preserved by salting, drying and packing in wickerwork containers. They were also candied and, as in this Cape Malay recipe, made into a sambal which is delicious with curry, as well as with smoked fish dishes. Unlike most sambals, which should be made shortly prior to serving, this may be made a day or two ahead.

_Editor's note: This recipe was adapted by Japanese cooking expert Elizabeth Andoh. This recipe originally accompanied Thick White Noodles in Soup, Topped with Eggs and Scallions and Cold Noodle Salad with Ponzu Sauce._ If instructions are provided on the package you purchase, follow the guidelines printed there. If no guidelines are available, refer to the basic procedures described here.

Nuoc Cham Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Mai Pham's book Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. Pham also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This recipe originally accompanied Crispy Spring Rolls. Nuoc cham is a must at every Vietnamese table, no matter what is served. You can use this condiment for dipping meat, seafood and vegetables, and for drizzling on rice. When serving it with steamed meats (such as steamed chicken), I often reduce the water by half so the sauce is more concentrated. You can often determine a family's roots just by looking at and tasting their nuoc cham. If it's clear and dotted with chopped chilies, the cook is probably from the central or northern regions, where a simple and straightforward version is preferred. But if it's diluted with water and lime juice and sweetened with sugar, one can surmise that the cook is from the verdant south. Although it will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator, nuoc cham is best when freshly made. I prefer the intense flavor of the tiny Thai bird chilies, but any hot chilies will do.

This recipe originally accompanied bobotie. Before we learned to make our own chutney from ingredients as diverse as apricots, dates, quinces and raisins, blatjang was imported from Java, made from sun-dried prawns and shrimps, which were pounded with a wooden pestle and mortar; and shaped into masses resembling large cheeses. Blatjang is the pride of Cape Malay-cuisine, and the recipe is one of the oldest around. The name comes from one of the constituents of the Javanese sambal blachang. Early food writer; C Louis Leipoldt, described it as 'bitingly spicy, pungently aromatic, moderately smooth and a very intimately mixed association of ingredients.' There is nothing quite like blatjang to add zest to curries or braaied meat. Adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference. Blatjang may be stored for up to a year; but refrigerate once the bottle has been opened.

Who can resist rich chocolate with roasted pecans and butter-rum caramel? Melting the chocolate in stages insures that it will set. If you wish, the alcohol can be omitted.

Nothing beats great hot chocolate. Use the best chocolate you can get your hands on. We love Valrhona, but Lindt and Ghirardelli are also excellent choices. If giving as a gift, transfer the mix to crocks, jars, canisters, or cellophane bags, decorate with ribbons, and attach gift tags with the serving directions.

We are happy to announce that Marla Orenstein has won our February 2006 "Cook the Cover" contest with her delicious variation on our Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Mousse Cake. Marla Orenstein explains her variation:
To me, this rich, heavy chocolate dessert is enhanced with the addition of a complementary tart or sour taste. In this recipe, I have added a new layer—a reduction of sour cherry jam mixed with balsamic vinegar and brandy—between the chocolate shortbread and the chocolate mousse. I find the taste of the whole cake to be more complex and enjoyable as a result.