No-Cook

For a picnic, transport this colorful side dish next to a cold pack in an airtight container.

Similar to the whipped feta spread at Papagus Greek Taverna in Chicago.

Canned tuna sparked with lemon and capers creates a superb sauce that complements many pasta shapes — penne, shells, or linguine, to name only a few. I prefer solid-pack tuna in olive oil for the best flavor and texture. I sometimes add a small handful of unpitted black olives — Kalamata or Gaeta — and a large, ripe tomato, seeded and diced, for a delicious variation. Italians would never serve cheese with fish, but you have my permission to break the rules!

A rich, decadent frozen dessert that can be made ahead for a party.

Offer butter cookies alongside this pretty pink dessert.

The miso dressing — which has the body of an egg yolk dressing without all the fat — lends depth of flavor to sweet persimmon and creamy avocado.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

The salsa has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flvaors and is a perfect compliment to purchased frozen spring rolls or egg rolls.

"I've always loved to cook and bake," writes Gert Schwartz of Skokie, Illinois. "When my husband worked for the kitchens of Sara Lee, I would bake about 2,000 cookies each Christmas to send to his coworkers. People thought it strange — sending coals to Newcastle — but at that time Sara Lee did not make cookies (I wasn't about to compete with the cheesecake operation), and everyone seemed to enjoy them. In your January 2001 issue, I read about the different cakes and had a desire to try the devil's food one, since my husband loves chocolate. I made the recipe as 24 cupcakes and decided to use a frosting recipe I have had since I was married, over 50 years ago. As a little girl, my favorite birthday cake was chocolate with white frosting, and when I took my first bite of your recipe, there I was: ten years old again. I thought you might like to have that frosting recipe." We took Mrs. Schwartz's advice and tried her almond cream cheese frosting on our devil's food cupcakes — it was delicious. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min

Make this the centerpiece of an hors d'oeuvre platter that includes crackers, breadsticks, cornichons, and olives.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

When Caesar Cardini first served his famous salad in the early 1920s, he used just the hearts of the romaine lettuce, the tender short leaves in the center, and he presented them whole. The salad was tossed and dressed, then arranged on each plate so that you could pick up a leaf by its short end and chew it down bit by bit, then pick up another. However, many customers didn't like to get their fingers covered with egg-and-cheese-and-garlic dressing, and he changed to the conventional torn leaf. Too bad, since the salad lost much of its individuality and drama. You can certainly serve it the original way at home — just provide your guests with plenty of big paper napkins. And plan to be extravagant.

Nuoc Tuong Pha This vegetarian dipping sauce can be made with any soy sauce, including the Japanese-style Kikkoman, although the Vietnamese prefer the lighter-bodied Chinese-style products marketed under the brands Kim Lan, Bo De, and Pearl River Bridge. Like dipping sauces made with fish sauce, you can embellish this with different aromatics such as ginger and cilantro.

The homey and hearty dishes of Louis Szathmáry—a splendidly mustached man who was the chef-owner of Chicago's well-known Hungarian restaurant The Bakery—are the inspiration for this dinner. Of course, chef Louis cooked using lots of butter and cream, but with just a touch of fat we've retained many of the same earthy flavors that he loved. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1‚ hr