Dairy

Joe Dion of North Charleston, South Carolina, writes: "Because I work in a restaurant (I'm a chef at a place called Slightly North of Broad in Charleston), I don't let my cooking at home get too complicated. I'm at the restaurant five days a week and often work on weekends, but whenever I have the chance I enjoy getting together with friends and cooking for them." Fresh raspberries flavor the dressing and give this light salad its sweet tang; the pine nuts add crunch.

California dried apricots are essential for this recipe — they have the tartness needed to balance the sweet filling and macaroon layers. Don't assemble this cake ahead or the crisp macaroon layers will get soggy.

Acini di pepe, the Italian term for "peppercorns," also refers to tiny pearls of pasta. This dish goes well with lamb chops or grilled chicken.

This dish is a take on the bistro classic frisée salad with lardons. We recommend removing the ribs from the dandelion greens; though it's a rather lengthy process, the result will be much more delicate.

This fun dish combines classic antipasto platter ingredients with pasta. If you're in a hurry, omit the sautéed mushrooms.

Extra-sharp Cheddar and malty English ale balance perfectly in this hearty soup.

Begin preparing the cake one day ahead.

These rich cheese puffs resemble gougères, with tangy Stilton taking the place of Gruyère.

Bake the cheesecake at least one day ahead so that it has enough time to chill.

Daryl Getman of New York City, NY, writes: "I'm a second-year theater student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, so most days are more about running from class to rehearsal to a performance than they are about cooking. But since I moved out of the dorms last year, cooking has become my favorite distraction. And on the weekends, it's my idea of a break." Daryl likes to use top-notch applewood-smoked bacon for this salad.