Citrus

Fresh mint makes this starter all the more cooling. Use Haas avocados for the creamiest texture. What to drink: Throughout the meal, go with the classics — beer and Margaritas.

Look for chili-garlic sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Hannah Levitz of Monroe Township, New Jersey, writes: "I first became interested in cooking when my son, Paul, was growing up. He was a picky eater and quite a challenge to cook for. He's married now with children of his own, and thankfully, he has learned to love almost everything I make. When we all get together, I like to do the cooking — it gives my daughter-in-law a break. And because most of my recipes are speedy, I still have time to enjoy my three grandchildren."

Ground cardamom is worth seeking out for this recipe — it adds another dimension to the dessert. The spice can be found at many supermarkets, Middle Eastern and Indian markets, and specialty foods shops. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Serve a dry Riesling to complement the subtle ginger flavor of the roasted chicken.

The following recipe makes 120 cookies. Any excess raw dough may be kept, frozen, 3 weeks. You'll find these delicate wafers so delicious that they'll disappear in no time.

(Gelat de Crema Catalana i Xerès amb Mel i Figues) The mellow, almond flavor of Amontillado Sherry works especially well in this rich, creamy dessert.

We serve our remake of the Mojito—a Cuban cocktail—in lime bowls, but Martini glasses would also look sleek.

Salmoriglio is a strong, pungent lemon-herb sauce, originally from Calabria and Sicily. Serve the lamb with the chopped Greek salad to start and some grilled bread for soaking up the sauce.

At the restaurant, they use Champagne in the salad dressing. We've simplified it with white wine vinegar, but if you've got a bottle of the bubbly open, feel free to substitute.

This recipe was created to accompany other canapés: Shrimp Canapés , Pickled Herring Canapés and Cheese Canapés .

These sweet, tangy wings should appeal to even the pickiest kid. Eight pounds may sound like a lot, but no matter how many of these we made in our test kitchens, they always disappeared quickly. You may not have the oven space to cook the wings and the macaroni simultaneously. We found it best to do the wings first, then keep them warm under foil while baking the macaroni. Finally, because the wings tend to leave a mess to clean up, we like to make them in disposable foil roasting pans.