Coconut

Purchased pineapple-coconut ice cream and mango and boysenberry sorbets make this dessert easy. The terrine needs to freeze overnight before serving.

A buttermilk layer cake is filled with ginger-scented lime curd, then finished with a sweet and fluffy frosting. Make the lime curd one to two days before assembling the cake.

Start preparing this two days before you plan to serve it. Toast the coconut in a 350°F oven until light golden in spots, stirring frequently, about ten minutes.

Broiled pineapple is teamed with an easy-to-make ice cream and topped with toasted coconut for a tropical treat. The pineapple would also be good with purchased mango or coconut sorbet or with vanilla ice cream.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 5 hr

A chewy coconut meringue "crust" and rich chocolate mousse filling make this delicious, inventive Australian dessert taste like a combination of coconut cream pie and chocolate cream pie.

Since this cheesecake needs to chill for several hours, it's easiest to bake it a day ahead of time.

Unsweetened coconut can be found at natural foods stores.

Here's a simple way to make a scrumptious coconut cake: Take a boxed cake mix, add Coco Lòpez and top with flaked coconut.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 6 1/4 hr (includes cooling and chilling)

My grandmother Marie "Nanney" Spivey (I am her namesake) always doubles this family favorite and uses two pie shells. She says, "Everybody loves it. You can stir it up in five minutes."

Brush this slightly sweet lime-scented sauce on shrimp or chicken before and during grilling. The recipe makes enough for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken or shrimp, with some left over to pass at the table.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.