Vegetarian

You can substitute dried cranberries or raisins for the dried cherries in this recipe.

This recipe was inspired by the tableside version prepared at Rosa Mexicano in New York City. To ripen hard avocados, leave them in a closed paper bag at room temperature for a few days.

Yeast is used as part of the leavening to give these biscuits the light, airy texture that inspired their name.

These British scones, created by the mother of Martha Stewart Living design director James Dunlinson, resemble small, thick pancakes.

Fingerlings are grown in yellow, pink, and blue varieties. For a special touch, use an assortment of them. Any small potatoes will work just as well as fingerlings.

We used apple juice to sweeten the bread, but this recipe is equally tasty made with orange juice or cranberry juice.

Make a nutritious lunch by spooning this spread into whole-wheat pita halves and layering with tomato slices. Or, for a cocktail hour snack, dab a small amount on cherry tomato halves.

Toss this mix with 2 pounds potatoes before grilling. Once they have finished cooking, sprinkle the potatoes with fresh lime juice, if desired. See page 389 for grilling instructions.

The trick to achieving a good emulsification—suspending the oil in water-based ingredients such as vinegar—is to add the oil toward the end and whisk it in a little bit at a time.

Graham flour is coarser than regular whole-wheat flour, which also works. If you use the latter, substitute 1/2 cup wheat bran for 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

These preserves can be canned and stored for up to 1 year; multiply the recipe, if you like.

All ingredients except the milk and water should be at room temperature. This bread can be stored in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.