Bon Appétit

Eggs are a staple of the Turkish diet. An ingredient in many dishes, they are also prepared on their own as a main course for lunch or as an appetizer for dinner. Here they are poached, set on a bed of yogurt (another staple) and drizzled with a red pepper-sage butter. The red pepper that fires up Turkish cooking - a cross between paprika and dried crushed red pepper - is much more popular than black pepper, especially outside the large cities.

If you thought you couldn't cook Thai food at home, this colorful and slightly spicy curry-a bit of a cross between a soup and a stew-will change your mind. It's a cinch to whip up after work and intriguing enough to impress your friends. Begin dinner with frozen egg rolls or take-out ones from a Chinese restaurant, and finish things off with ice cream or sorbet topped with chopped tropical fruit. GewÜrztraminer or Thai beer complements the menu nicely.

Use the extra dressing with boiled potatoes or green beans to make an instant salad later in the week.

Called om Ali, which means "mother of Ali," this slightly sticky and unusual dessert flavored with orange flower water is currently the most popular pudding in Egypt. In the villages it is made with bread, while in the cities a more sophisticated version is made with phyllo pastry. Orange flower water is a flavoring extract available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.

This chicken is nice for an outdoor meal — grill some corn alongside, and set out a bowl of coleslaw. Or broil the chicken, boil the corn, and serve it all indoors. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This recipe was created to accompany Sauteed Sea Bass.

Serve this quick stir-fry with rice.

The origin of this luscious dessert, which resembles an English trifle (the name translates as "English soup"), is most likely with the homesick Victorians who fled the cold English climate for the warmth of Italy. In this signature Neapolitan version, the sponge cake is soaked with rum and layered with chocolate-cinnamon and vanilla-orange custards. If you can't find sponge cake, two pound cakes can be used. For a decorative touch, pipe a whipped cream border around the edge of the dessert before serving.

Lots of garlic adds great flavor to this dish. At the restaurant they make it with spinach pappardelle, but fettuccine is a convenient substitution.

Tarator, a creamy nut and garlic blend, is one of Turkey's finest sauces. It traditionally enhances cooked vegetables, fish or shellfish, and it is also a lovely dip for pita bread. Although the true tarator uses hazelnuts, local cooks often make it with whatever nut grows in their area.

A lovely appetizer or lunch dish.

Tangy Irish cheddar or Cashel, an Irish blue cheese, is ideal for this typical main-course pub salad; you can substitute English cheddar or French Roquefort. Thick slices of buttered soda bread and some raisin tarts could round out the menu.

A finale that is great on its own or served with some whipped cream that has been accented with brown sugar.

This flavorful entrée is very low in fat.