5 Ingredients or Fewer

This simple and elegant starter is excellent with Sauvignon Blanc.

Pressing potatoes through a food mill or ricer gives them a fabulous texture. But they're just as delicious simply mashed.

Scrambled eggs are a nice idea to round out the main course for this side dish.

(PASTA ALLA NORMA) Because the small Italian eggplants generally used in this dish can be hard to find in this country, we have substituted Asian eggplants.

I appreciate a good lasagne but hate the work and time involved — precooking the noodles, layering the dish, and baking it for an hour. So I came up with this uncomplicated spaghetti recipe which combines all the elements of a good lasagne without the trouble.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(GRANITA DI LIMONE) This Sicilian classic is churned on the eastern part of the island and stirred instead in the west. We have included instructions for both methods. The granita is (authentically) very tart. Most of us thought it was refreshing, but a couple of sweet-tooth types found it a bit too puckery. If you like your dessert on the sweeter side, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The wine glaze both balances the natural sweetness of the beets and intensifies the savory beet flavor. In Tuscany, this is a favorite side dish for game and fowl.

When you compose a gorgeous salad brimming with the freshest greens, herbs, and flowers, the best choice of dressing is a simple vinaigrette with a fairly neutral flavor that gently blends with the flavors of the salad ingredients instead of overriding them. The key is to use good-quality vinegar and olive oil. I use two kinds of vinegar: a good red wine vinegar or aged sherry vinegar for crispness, and a smaller amount of balsamic for its full body and touch of sweetness. You don't need to use the precious old balsamico tradizionale, but its best to stay away from the very low priced brands. This recipe has a slightly higher than average proportion of vinegar to oil to help balance assertively flavored greens. When it comes to choosing the right oil, try to find a first-rate extra-virgin olive oil with a mild flavor, not a brand that's powerfully fruity. You don't want the oil to jump out as the predominant flavor. The exception is when many of your greens are very bitter or hot, like mustard, radicchio, peppercress, or endive, in which case a very fruity olive oil will balance and tone down their aggressiveness. If you're using this vinaigrette on a salad of many varied and distinctively flavored greens and herbs, like the Herbfarm Garden Salad, I suggest you not add more herbs to the dressing. However, if you are making the vinaigrette for a simpler salad of lettuces and other greens or vegetables, try blending in one of the herbs listed in the variations that follow. The vinaigrette also presents an excellent opportunity to use an herb-infused vinegar.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Short Ribs Provençale with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes.

Both the dip and the pita chips can be made several days ahead to keep on hand for after-workout nourishment.

This dessert has a silky texture and intense flavors. Begin preparing it a day ahead.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr