Simmer

This can be served immediately as a warm salad or made ahead and served chilled.

This fruity, not-too-sweet barbecue sauce is terrific on any type of grilled poultry, pork, or even salmon. For convenience, it can be made one day ahead.

Sprinkling this creamy custard with powdered sugar and then placing the dessert under the broiler gives it a delicate crust. Serve with crisp gingersnap cookies.

Use this stock to prepare Chicken with Parsley and Thyme Stuffing and Roasted Potatoes .

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

"I’m a pasta fiend, and I love to create sauces, especially when they include my favorite vegetable, red bell pepper," writes Dawn Kleinman of Denver, Colorado. "This recipe won a local contest and continues to receive compliments from everyone who tries it."

The recipe below was based on the apricot soufflés served by Sally Darr at her former New York City restaurant, La Tulipe. This recipe calls for five large egg whites. When separating your eggs, serve the yolks for the accompanying crème anglaise.

Madeira is combined with Cointreau, honey and spices in a simple English-inspired hot drink for the holidays.

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 18 hr (includes chilling)

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

If you make this recipe with fresh peas, keep in mind that it will take about 30 minutes to shell them.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Caramelized Fresh Fruit These crackly-coated fruits bring back childhood memories of candied apples. I've given the Roman recipe here; in Venice, where they're coated with a thicker layer of caramel, they are called golosezzi veneziani. Set aside about 1/2 hour for the caramelizing and finish the procedure no more than 1 1/2 hours before serving so that the fruit remains crisp.

The thing Hom likes most about this dessert is the contrast of the warm, sweet fruit and the cold, tangy crème fraîche. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min

Cornmeal may be either fine- or coarse-grained. Both work well in the following recipe; we used a fine-grained variety found in most supermarkets.

A low-fat version of the Mexican soup.