Paul Grimes

Of course, you can always take a simple store-bought rotisserie chicken to a picnic, but this Indian spin is way more fun. We love the chickpea layer so much that we make it even when there's no picnic planned.

The addition of the sweet vermouth here punctuates the natural sweetness of the canned tomatoes, making this quick sauce taste as if it's been simmered for hours.

Almost a risotto and not quite a soup, risi e bisi was once reserved for occasions. Thanks to food processors, high-quality frozen peas, and our super-fast stir-it-once method, you needn't wait for a special day.

Four ingredients and a few minutes are all it takes to put together this crisp, bubbly masterpiece. A quick drizzle of truffle oil adds a final flourish of decadence.

There's really no trick to recipes like this: Using moist, flavorful chicken thighs and good marinated artichoke hearts will result in a simple but memorable single-pan dish.

Rich, aromatic rouille is a classic lily-gilding for French fish soups; this one has an extra something special: saffron. Even if you love saffron, though, don't be tempted to add any extra threads. This is just the right amount to really flatter, not dominate, the soup.

This variation on spice cookies will beguile with its unlikely ingredients: A little curry powder provides an unplaceable base note for flat brown-sugar tuiles studded with pistachios and chocolate chunks. And these are the least fussy of cookies—just spread the batter, sprinkle with chocolate and nuts, and then break up into pieces after baking.

While the bavarian and the caramel sauce flirt subtly with the flavor of the fruit, this candied peel is very direct, delivering a straight shot of sweet-tart tangerine flavor.

Tangerine juice plays two roles here: It stops the cooking of the sugar, and its bright perfume brings complexity to the sauce.

Of all the citrus fruits (conveniently in season right now), tangerine has perhaps the most complex qualities. Floral and gently sweet, with an underlying tartness—like three fruits in one. And this lighter-than-air bavarian is wonderfully cool on the tongue, slowly releasing its various aromas as it melts in the mouth.

We'll admit it—we all love a wedge of iceberg with blue-cheese dressing. So there's no need to apologize for serving this beautiful plate of sweet lettuce, slices of good Stilton, and toasted walnuts, along with an excellent vinaigrette that brings out the best in all of them.

Creamed spinach often gets a dash of nutmeg. With the rest of this meal, you'll be happy to have a lighter (meaning creamless), more basic sautéed spinach, but the nutmeg remains, for a sense of something special.

Going beyond the customary side dishes for beef (mushrooms and a gratin), we've combined all the luxurious flavor of wild mushrooms sautéed in cream with good buttered toast for these single-serving puddings, giving every guest a perfect mix of crisp, golden surface and warm, melting interior.

You'll find this tenderloin a wonderful change of pace—since it's not seared before cooking, the tenderness extends all the way through the crust (and it's less work for the cook). A woodsy suggestion of rosemary on the meat's surface is underlined by the lusciously savory, almost jammy tomato confit.