Jackie O'Halloran

A rich side dish for pork or lamb chops.

You can turn this into a main-course salad for brunch, lunch or a warm-weather supper by simply drizzling vinaigrette over the sliced chicken and watercress.

In the 1600s, "flapjack" referred to a thick pancake that was cooked on a skillet and turned by being tossed (flapped). By the 1930s, it had come to mean a biscuit like this, made from rolled oats, syrup and butter--sort of the granola bars of their day. They're the perfect thing to have with a cup of tea or coffee.

Purchased puff pastry and almond paste help make an elegant dessert in minutes.