Dairy

Here's an opportunity to enjoy the best summer fruit. Serve this dessert with butter cookies from the bakery.

An Italian dish that's great with brunch, or as a light lunch or appetizer on its own.

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

Hoop cheese is available at Jewish delicatessens and in the refrigerated deli section of some supermarkets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Orzo—rice shaped pasta—is easier to find than Arborio rice (the traditional ingredient in risotto) and makes a delicious risotto-style side dish.

"One of the most unusual restaurants in our area is Kemo Sabe," says Laura Bates of San Diego, California. "Co-chef and co-owner Deborah Scott combines influences from around the world to create interesting dishes—including the restaurant’s signature appetizer of fried Brie with jalapeño jelly. I’d love to serve it to my friends." Place a small bowl of jalapeño jelly on a platter, and surround it with fried Brie wedges and French bread slices for a lovely presentation. Chef Scott makes her own jalapeño jelly; the purchased kind is an easy substitute.

This recipe comes from my 86-year-old grandmother, a northern Italian from Faenza, who picked it up during her travels as a piano teacher in southern Italy. I've watched her make it my whole life and know the recipe from memory.

Turkey Stuffed with Chestnuts and Prunes This is definitely my favorite way to do turkey because it never comes out dry. My wife, Susi, is always upset when she sees me prepare this abstract-looking sausage of a gobbler, but she's happy when she eats the tender and succulent meat and stuffing, all encased in a crisp and well-seasoned skin. The advantages of this method are twofold: it's in the oven only for an hour, freeing up cooking space for other dishes; and carving is simplicity itself — just cut straight through, like a regular roast.