Cat Cora

Improv: Instead of smoked salmon, try this with a generous dollop of caviar on the eggs, or top them with smoked trout or whitefish.

Improv: Substitute lemon peel for the orange peel, and cinnamon for the cardamom.

Begin the morning with the beautiful, festive (and easy) drinks.

One of Cat Cora's signature dishes is a watermelon, feta, and mint salad (a nod to her Greek heritage). Here, she gives the recipe an Italian accent.

This fresh, colorful soup makes a great summer starter.

Strawberries and kiwi wedges are threaded onto lemongrass skewers for a fun garnish. To make the skewers, cut a four-inch piece from the tough end of a lemongrass stalk, then peel away the outer layers until only a 1/4-inch-diameter skewer remains. (Look for lemongrass in the produce section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.)