Gourmet

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

This light, spicy soup is delicious hot or chilled. The sautéed aromatics turn the broth a rich red-orange, more reminiscent of tomato than watermelon. See if your guests can guess the main ingredient. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr (3 hr if serving chilled)

In Indian cooking, tikka refers to chunks of meat cooked on skewers.

My mom ate a lot of things — frogs' legs, escargots, sweetbreads — that horrified me as a child, but I took to caviar right away. She didn't use the good stuff, but even made with supermarket roe, this dish makes an elegant impression. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min (includes making pancakes)

Rupa De of West Lafayette, Indiana, writes: "Since I am originally from India, many of my non-Indian friends have asked me for a chicken curry recipe, and this is the one I give them. I hope your readers will enjoy it, too."

Negimaki Many New Yorkers owe their first sushi experience to the boom in the city's Japanese population during the 1980s, which in turn led to a proliferation of Japanese restaurants. These beautiful rolls aren't raw—they're seared to create a flavorful brown crust and a medium-rare center.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 40 min

Koosa Claritas — pale green, slightly rounded zucchini — are traditionally used in this dish, but we find that yellow zucchini make for a more attractive presentation because they don't discolor when cooked in tomato sauce.

Add a simple green salad to our updated version of the grilled cheese sandwich, and dinner is served.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Preserved lemons, sold ready-made in Moroccan souks, are essential to that country's cuisine. The peel, pulp, and juice squeezed from the lemons can all be used. Sometimes, however, the juice and preserving brine, can be bitter; use fresh lemon juice in that case.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You will need to chill the dough at least 4 hours. Also, if you bake these cookies a couple of days ahead, the vanilla flavor will become more pronounced.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.