Banana

Anne Marie Gaspard of Gros Islet, St. Lucia, writes: "I've always enjoyed cooking — for my family and for myself. My children are grown, so when they visit on Sundays, I spoil them with good home-cooked meals. During the week I like to make dishes that are different but still easy."

East meets West in this dessert version of the spring roll.

Doughnuts meet bananas Foster in this playful dessert.

These tiny cakes make terrific gifts, packaged in sets of three — one of each flavor. The basic vanilla batter is also wonderful for other variations — try orange rind and white chocolate-chip, raisin-walnut, or "the kitchen sink" (that's whatever you need to get rid of in your pantry). I also like to keep some of these loaves in my freezer for impromptu breakfast parties. Just move them to the refrigerator before bed, and they'll be thawed by morning.

Nothing melts in the mouth like baked bananas. Served with any kind of cream topping, it is a simple, unsurpassed dessert. Adjust the ingredients and flavors to your personal taste.

Baby bananas are sweeter than regular bananas. Choose ones that are ripe but firm. They can be found at many supermarkets or online at melissas.com.

**Editor's note:**This recipe is reprinted from Rose Hammick's and Charlotte Packer's book Great Parties for Kids. For Hammick's and Packer's tips on throwing a kids' summer party, click here. Make the fruit kabobs a day in advance and keep them in the fridge. The sauces can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for 2 days.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein's book, Raw.

Healthy bonus: 1/2 serving of fruit per slice, potassium from bananas, iron from walnuts

If you enjoy this decadent dessert (or the <epi:recipelink id="230319">Canyon Ranch Grilled Golden Pineapple With Caramel Sauce</epi:recipelink>) once a week, you will satisfy your cravings and stay on track with your weight loss and healthy-eating goals.

Sunday snack. From Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona. A (barely detectable!) hit of flaxseed oil transforms this smoothie into a treat for your digestive system. (Flaxseed aids regularity.) The oil is rich in healthful omega-3 fatty acids.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort. This is arguably Mexico's most famous special occasion cake. Tres leches means three milks — typically heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. Our version opts for a lighter more tropical soaking — reduced-fat coconut milk, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, and skim milk. You would think that all of this fluid infusion would turn the cake to sodden disintegration. But, in fact, it absorbs the liquids beautifully, much as does the equatorial earth absorb a sudden downpour. Accompanied by rum-caramelized bananas and topped with toasted coconut, this cake has become our most popular new dessert.

The all-American soda fountain classic gets a fabulous tropical makeover.

Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Khalid Mohammed of Battimamzelle in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Mohammed also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Buljol, a popular Trinidadian breakfast dish, is a cold salad made from salted codfish. In his Trini-fusion version, Mohammed substitutes squid and locally abundant conch and adds green "figs" (green bananas, called by their local name, and "soused," or pickled, a traditional cooking method). He finishes the dish with the tomato chokha, a local sauce.