European

Easy sides would be a salad of mixed lettuces with balsamic vinaigrette, a whole wheat baguette and roasted baby potatoes. Finish with apple tarts.

Add a glass of rosé and some crusty Italian bread to make a perfect summer lunch.

It's worth seeking out Carnaroli rice (from the Piedmont region of Italy) for this recipe: Carnaroli has a higher starch content than Arborio, so it makes a much creamier risotto. Chef Kiffin serves this with braised oxtails and a watercress salad.

A clever way to present every morsel of a cooked whole artichoke is to remove all the leaves before serving, and use their bits of tender flesh as a stuffing for the hollow artichoke bottom. It takes a bit of time to scrape the leaves of an artichoke clean, so reserve this as a special treat for 2, or at most 4.

Millefoglie con Crema alla Grappa e Rabarbaro Millefoglie is the Italian version of the French pastry mille-feuille (meaning "thousand leaves"), which is then layered with fruit and cream, napoleon-style. We like Julia brand grappa best for this particular recipe — it's slightly sweeter and has a more well-rounded flavor than other grappas we've tasted. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Why Madame? Because it has an egg, of course.

Elarji (Adapted from The Georgian Feast) This very cheesy cornmeal pudding, made here with grits, is a perfect accompaniment to Georgian Pork Stew. The surprise is that ordinary supermarket mozzarella works better than fresh as a substitute for the Georgian sulguni cheese for which this recipe was designed.

This pizza is made with no toppings other than oil and salt and should be served as a snack. It's not really a cracker, but it's crisper than focaccia. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Peg Isherwood of Libertyville, Illinois, writes: "While in Christiansted, St. Croix, we dined at Kendrick's and had the most interesting gazpacho — it was spicy but not too hot, with lots of chopped vegetables. I met the owner, David Kendrick, the next morning and found him delightful. Would you ask him for the recipe?" This gazpacho has a chunkier texture than most (almost like a salsa). To chop the vegetables in a processor, cut them into quarters and process in batches, using on/off turns.

(Gratins d'Aubergine, Mozzarella et Pistou) This makes a terrific meatless main course. It would serve eight as a side dish; simply layer the ingredients in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish, then bake and broil it as directed.

The unusual crust is made of brioche dough.

The sweet crispiness of the apples and the tang of vinegar give this potato salad a special lift. It's named after Normandy, famous for its apples and for its apple brandy, Calvados.

Gulisa's Ajika This lively condiment goes nicely with grilled meats and fish as well as with pork stew.

(Viscotti di'Mandorla Banana) These viscotti—Sicilian biscotti—come in many flavors; bakeries use food coloring to give customers a visual clue. In this case, yellow equals banana.

Serve with: Crudités dipped into creamy Italian dressing. Dessert: Sliced apricots drizzled with anisette liqueur.

Apples are traditional, but peaches are divine.

This float was inspired by the Italian dessert affogato al caffé, which consists of ice cream that has been "drowned" in hot coffee. We added caramelized sugar to the coffee for extra depth and topped it all off with whipped cream, toasted nuts, and chocolate shavings. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min