No-Cook

Drained nonfat yogurt—rather than mayonnaise or sour cream—provides the creamy texture. Start making this dip a day ahead, and try it with apple or pear slices.

"Michael Kornick's hip mk restaurant in Chicago has quickly become one of my favorite places for a special dinner," writes Thien Sylora of Chicago, Illinois. "I had a terrific gazpacho there."

This recipe is an accompaniment for Braised Pork with Mojo Sauce .

"My husband and I celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the island of St. John, where we enjoyed many terrific meals," says Eileen Hruby of Tom's River, NJ. "One day, we had lunch at Pusser's Ltd. in Cruz Bay. The coleslaw they served was extraordinary: cool and hot at the same time. I have no idea how it was made." Serrano chilies give this dish a real kick; the lime juice makes it refreshing.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes freezing)

Chlodnik Polish cooks serve this soup (pronounced "hu-WOHD-neek") as a cooling first course for summer meals. It's a delicious alternative to gazpacho.

An all-purpose barbecue-style marinade that is great with chicken, quail, and duck.

Feel free to create your own mesclun mix. We suggest baby red oakleaf, baby arugula, mâche, and bite-size pieces of Belgian endive, frisée, and radicchio.

It is essential to slice the brownie in half through the middle lengthwise; otherwise, the cake slices will be too thick.

If you can't find heirloom tomatoes near you, this salad would also be delicious with any ripe tomato from garden or market.

No cooking required for this dessert that needs to be assembled at least 24 hours—and up to three days—in advance.

The flavors and juices of this Provençal-style tuna sandwich seep into the bread while it is being pressed. Serve with: Marinated green beans and herbed orzo salad.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

One buttercream base makes two frosting flavors. Vanilla tops the orange cupcakes , and almond tops the devil's food . Be sure to use unsprayed (nontoxic) roses for decoration.

Nigella Lawson If we're talking about family favorites, I couldn't leave liptauer out. It was the deli counter delicacy of my childhood and another eating item I'd all but forgotten about. But something made me remember it, and from taste-memory and some notes from the kitchen book inherited by my friend Olivia from her mother, I tried my hand at making it myself. I can confidently and categorically state that it's not some sentimental yearning that makes me want to see its comeback. You don't need to go in for the retro-molding here, just mix the ingredients and plonk them in a bowl if you like; but whatever, this glorious cream cheese, caper, caraway seed, and paprika combination, spread over sour black bread or — if you don't have the genetic taste for it — over slices of any dark or brown bread that you can get from the supermarket, is rhapsodically unbeatable.

Parfait is the French word for "perfect," and these elegant little treats live up to the billing. Served straight from the freezer, their texture is similar to ice cream's, but they take on a mousselike consistency when thawed for a minute or two on the plate.