Almond

Browning the almonds in sugar gives a great sweet crunch to this salad. I have to state for the record that this is one of the best salads I’ve ever tasted.

This unusual take on chicken salad is a meal in itself, with the rice, fruit, and almonds as well as cooked chicken. Just add bread or crackers.

Olive oil cakes are a traditional Italian treat; this one is unusual in that it uses whole oranges and lemons, not just their zest. This barely sweet dessert—a sophisticated amalgam of heady olive oil, aromatic fruits, and toasted almonds—will win you friends wherever you serve it. Be sure to use good-quality olive oil in this recipe. I prefer a Tuscan blend with a bit of peppery bite to give the cake an interesting dimension. I love serving this cake with whipped crème fraîche that has been lightly sweetened.

An Italian semifreddo is a frozen mousse, lighter than ice cream and made without churning. You can vary it according to season, incorporating flavors from raspberry to pear to chestnut. We like to make it with chopped toasted almonds and Marshall’s Farm wildflower honey, collected from hives in one of our vineyards. The result tastes like frozen nougat. Serve with a thin, crisp cookie.

This Rocky Road Cupcake has a surprising marshmallow center that provides a yin-and-yang contrast to the dense chocolate icing. For a more daring, sweet-and-salty version, try using chopped Smokehouse almonds instead of the traditional toasted ones, or top the cupcakes with chopped salted peanuts. Once you’re comfortable with the technique of filling a cupcake, you can use other fillings, such as chocolate mousse, Nutella, fruit curd, or a favorite custard, to create other flavors.

The health benefits of dark chocolate, almonds, and dried fruit make this a great option to serve as a snack or to give as a gift to a health-conscious friend. In a box or tin beautifully tied with ribbon, the flourless bark can also make a welcome Passover hostess gift, which can be served immediately or nibbled on all week long. The dried cranberries add a delicious chewiness to this otherwise solid bark. All sorts of dried fruits and nuts can be used, but when buying the dried fruit, especially cranberries, be sure to pick an unsweetened variety. The added sugar can change the taste of the fruit and also alter the tempered chocolate.

In this Italian-style free-form tart, thinly sliced fresh figs and a tender almond filling are encased in a buttery crust. If you can’t find fresh figs, use ripe plums, pitted and thinly sliced.

A cast-iron skillet is a rustic oven-to-table option, but you can also bake the buckle in a nine-inch square cake pan or in a two-quart shallow baking dish.

When cooking stuffed chops and roasts, it is important to check the internal temperature of the stuffing to determine doneness. To accompany the pork, use a good-quality store-bought chutney, and serve a simple green salad on the side.

Using the oven to toast nuts is best. You get more uniformly toasted nuts than in a skillet on the stove, and there’s less chance of burning them (if you set a timer, that is). Let toasted nuts cool completely before using them in a recipe or storing in an airtight container.

GOOD TO KNOW A mix of sugar and honey in these citrusy cookies satisfies a sweet tooth, yet each thin, delicate cookie has only forty-four calories. Go ahead, have two.

SMART SUBSTITUTION Try a mix of yogurt and lemon juice for a tart, creamy pasta sauce without a lot of fat. This satisfying pasta salad, made with whole-wheat penne, makes a great summer supper; pack any leftovers for a workday lunch.