Blue Cheese

Pink grapefruit can be used if you can't find the blood oranges.

You can serve this dish—a cheese and fruit course in one—in lieu of dessert. Half a pear with some greens also makes a nice first course or light brunch.

Elisa Mazzaferro-Rosenberg of Fort Collins, Colorado, writes: "I love to entertain, but between coming home late — I just completed my Ph.D. in small animal clinical sciences — and feeding my husband, Adam, and myself plus our little family of five cats and two dogs, I haven't had the time to have friends over much."

When buying green beans, look for the skinniest ones—they have the best texture. Offer plenty of crusty bread, and open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with this hearty main-course salad.

The contrasting colors of these two beets are especially attractive in this dish but you may substitute any others.

This variation on basic polenta incorporates fresh corn just off the cob.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

If Cabrales is difficult to find in your area, it can be ordered on-line from tienda.com. Italian Gorgonzola can also be substituted. Serve the onions and the Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic with plenty of crusty bread. What to drink: Albariño. This fragrant Spanish white varietal is a smooth match with the starters and the red snapper baked in salt.

One of the great blue cheeses of the world, real English Stilton transforms potatoes au gratin into something extraordinary.

Can be prepared in 45 minues or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the restaurant Charlie Trotter bakes these small soufflés in thimble-shaped molds and sets them atop rounds of his own dried-fig brioche. Although he likes to use white Muscat grapes for the sauce, the recipe works well with any color or variety of grape. We used red seedless grapes, and they yielded a beautiful dark-pink sauce.