Gourmet

Yes, buttermilk is good for tender griddlecakes and baked goods, but as these delicate individual puddings show, its tangy flavor is not to be taken for granted. The sauce that tops the puddings begins with a red-wine syrup mulled with citrus and a bay leaf and then puréed with strawberries. A final scattering of mixed berries gives a down-home touch to something that is, at heart, wonderfully curious and complex.

Italian parsley isn't usually valued as a salad green. But when it’s tempered by earthy, juicy raw beets and a citrus vinaigrette, the mineral-tinged flat leaves will be the talk of the table.

Sweet-tart pineapple is wonderful with pork, as are collard greens. The two together, plus a healthy dose of vinegar, morph into something that's utterly surprising and utterly delicious. It both complements and cuts the richness of the meat.

Infusing pork butt with pink peppercorns and garlic enhances its superb flavor. The vermouth in the pan sauce has a masterful synchronicity with the juniper-like aroma of pink peppercorns and gives you enormous complexity from just one ingredient.

What you have here—sun-gold bands of decoratively arranged vegetables and clear, immediate flavors enriched with Parmigiano-Reggiano—is an absolute stunner. And, because the torte must be made ahead and weighted (to release excess liquid), it's ideal for entertaining. Serve it with anything grilled (fish, chicken, or lamb, for instance) and your guests will be over the moon.

The nectarine, a subspecies of peach, generally has a sharper, more intense taste. The homey yellow cake here is studded with wedges of them, their summery, sunshiny essence set off by a trace of nutmeg. It's buttery and flavorful yet not too rich; a sprinkle of sugar on top gives it just enough crustiness to hold up a dollop of softly whipped cream, but it's delicious stark naked as well.

Although uva means "grape" in Italian, Concords are native to North America. A velvety sorbet brings out their inky, foxy intensity. It will, in fact, swing you right into autumn.

A first course with a serious wow factor. Even though this terrine is labor-intensive, it's not as fussy and last-minute as quenelles, and its ethereal texture rivals theirs. The salmon roe adds sparkle and zing both on the plate and on the palate, but if you want to take the terrine in a slightly different direction, use a small dice of blanched, peeled carrot in its place. You'll get a delicate crunch instead of a briny pop in the mouth.

We've given eminently tasty salmon the crab-cake treatment. Topping the lovely, golden (and satisfyingly chunky) cakes is a tart, tangy yogurt sauce rather than the usual tartar.

Shrimp cocktail quickly becomes much more than a classic first course when you give it some Latin flair. Try tossing lime juice, cilantro, piquant adobo sauce, and creamy avocado into the mix.

These tender, potent little orbs make a splendid Bloody Mary—esque addition to a beach-blanket picnic or a fancy cocktail party, and they tend to disappear in no time flat. Blanching them makes quick work of slipping off their skins.

Crisp, fragile, practically see-through—no, the subject here isn't a character out of The Devil Wears Prada, but something just as, well, delicious: quite possibly the world's best cheese wafers. Best of all, they couldn't be any simpler to make.

Here's an excellent reason to make a beeline for the ground-chicken section of the meat department: moist, flavorful meatballs speckled with pancetta and glazed with tomato paste. These are wonderful made with white or dark meat.

Dripping with snowy-white icing and paired with fresh berries and a ruby-red currant and raspberry sauce, this sheet cake is a charming way to end a dinner party.

It might seem odd to describe something cold—ice cream—as sultry, but there is no denying genuine come-hither appeal. Based on a traditional candy from Brittany (and a favorite flavor pairing among French and American chefs), the combination of salty and sweet exerts an almost primordial pull, and cream, milk, and eggs provide lush, luxurious texture.

The humble potato, given a little something extra, always elicits oohs and aahs. This is especially true when it's tossed with an herb-infused oil and cooked on the grill.