Quick

Editor's note: The recipe below is from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. For Bittman's tips on preparing a modern Passover meal, click here.

An homage to Denmark's sublime almond pastries, these delicate little cakes provide a nice hit of almond to complement the licorice pudding ; they're also a lovely nibble on their own with a cup of tea.

Cheese power: Monterey Jack and parmesan are creamy and smooth, while blue lends a subtle savoriness.

A salad from your pantry and fridge: Canned and frozen beans are the secret behind this attractive mix that includes crunchy celery and earthy cumin.

Be sure to sample "forest greens" if you find them on a menu in Copenhagen—this term is not just a flight of fancy. The greens on offer there are pristine wild lettuces, herbs, and grasses growing in the mountains and on the forest floor. Since most of us don't have the opportunity to forage forest greens, we made this salad with a tangle of microgreens, which work nicely. The vinaigrette nods to the Scandinavian love for curry, but it truly plays up the flavors of the pork and potatoes as well, so feel free to drizzle it all over the plate.

The sweet and savory flavors coaxed from the bacon, onion, raisins, and vinegar in this dish complement the delicate trout without overpowering it.

Early-spring evenings often feel a lot like winter, but you won't mind so much with this warm and robust German-style supper at the ready.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from China Modern by Ching-He Huang. In Chinese, Xi-fan means "watery rice." This modern version contains both brown rice and mixed whole grains.

Toss and broil: Charred peppers and red onion bring color and sweetness to workaday chicken breasts.

Long on flavor and short on time, this classic French dish makes a smart weeknight dinner. Bright with tarragon, it's a great way to welcome spring.

Cocktail historian David Wondrich prefers his martinis this way—that is, with equal parts gin and vermouth, as they were served circa 1910. To achieve the right flavor balance, he suggests using a high-proof, full-bodied gin—such as Tanqueray—that can stand up to the vermouth. For the sake of historical accuracy, he also recommends straining the drink into a chilled cocktail coupe (a stemmed glass with a wide, shallow bowl), because the martini glass as we know it didn't come on the scene until the 1920s.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. The original Martini, which is made with sweet Italian vermouth, sugar syrup, and orange bitters, lost out to the type made with just dry French vermouth, but it is still an excellent drink. This recipe, adapted from the estimable The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book (1935) by Albert Stevens Crockett, calls for Old Tom Gin, which is sweeter than dry gin. Since Old Tom isn't easy to find nowadays, we've substituted a combination of dry gin and simple syrup.

The cabbage and carrots in this dish supply 126 percent of your daily vitamin A, key to maintaining healthy eyes.

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong. Because pork is rather rich, I like to add a touch of hoisin sauce—the pork can stand up to it. The malt vinegar balances out the flavors, cutting through the richness and sweetness.

The broccoli gives bright flavor and color to this easy vegetarian pasta dish.

A dollop of chipotle-cherry whipped cream adds a sweet and spicy note to purchased brownies.