Gourmet

(Soy and Vinegar Marinated Cornish Hens)

Thai food lovers will recognize this soup as the classic tom yaam goong. In its homeland the dish would have far more hot chilies. We've toned down the heat for newcomers to this cuisine, but veterans can add more chilies to make this soup as incendiary as they wish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Posto, cardamom pods, and whole dried red chiles are available at Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com).

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. To accompany Ice-Cream Bombes with Brandied Dried Cranberries and Cherries

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

This recipe was created to accompany Traditional Hamantaschen or Cream Cheese Hamantaschen . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The tender greens in this salad are a wonderful foil for blue cheeses.

These cookies are popular in the teahouses of Europe. Their name is derived from that of Count Alexander von Souvarov (1729-1800), a field marshal and epicure.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 25 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

A versatile alternative to couscous, this is a summer starch that doesn't have to be served warm. If you have fresh or cooked leftover vegetables in the kitchen, toss them in to make a main-course salad. You can also play with the herbs to suit the dishes this will accompany.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

As a crisp topping for pasta or steamed vegetables (Garlic Baguette Crumbs) or as a crucial ingredient (in the Apple Prune Brown Betty), these are worlds apart from store-bought bread crumbs. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr (includes cooling)