Cream Cheese

In the '80s and early '90s, chocolate cheesecake was at the top of our list. The simple ingredients in this rich, dense version let a good boutique chocolate shine.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jennifer Appel's Buttercup Bakes at Home. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. While most of my customers seem to live for the icings and toppings on my cupcakes, this "black bottom" cupcake is sure to please just as it is. It's become my all-time personal favorite.

"Each year we receive hundreds of reader requests for recipes from restaurants around the world. And this past year there was a clear favorite — cheesecake. One of the best we tested is from Zoom in Park City, Utah. Here's their delicious version. — The Editors At the restaurant, this is served with roasted pears. The cake needs time to set up in the refrigerator overnight, so begin making it at least one day ahead.

Empanadas de Bariloche This recipe is excerpted from Shirley Lomax Brooks's book Argentina Cooks! We've also added some tips of our own below. To read more about Argentine cuisine, click here. High in the Andes, near the border with Chile, is the all-season splendor of San Carlos de Bariloche. At Christmastime it's a fairyland of cobalt lakes, forested islands, and manicured parklands surrounded by snow-capped alpine peaks. In the center of a small peninsula stands the rustic but elegant Llao Llao Hotel, a holiday mecca for the elite of Buenos Aires, Santiago, and even Paris, Düsseldorf, London, Madrid and Milan. When not attending the hotel's casino (closed as of this writing), guests spend their time dining in exquisite surroundings on international cuisine as well as impeccably fresh seafood from the Pacific coast of Chile. Hence, recipes such as Empanadas de Bariloche frequently straddle the border.

This great summery tart doesn't require a special pan.

These delicate, lightly spiced cupcakes are reminiscent of carrot cake. Grated zucchini makes them exceptionally moist.

Expect a line to form when you unveil this stunning dessert. It's swirled throughout with tangy lemon curd, which amplifies the richness of the surrounding cheesecake.

Make this tart the day before serving to give it enough time to set.

Brandi Neuwirth of Cary, North Carolina, writes: "My family and I moved here from Los Angeles last year, and my new surroundings have really influenced my cooking. There's a great farmers' market nearby where I get lots of local ingredients. The produce there inspired me to create this dish, which is a real taste of the South."

Recipe from the kitchen of Felicia Gray, age 12 Many crab dip recipes call for imitation crabmeat, but there's no place for "krab" here. Only real lump crabmeat makes it taste best. Serve it while it's hot with crackers, bite-size pieces of bread, or veggie sticks. It can also be presented in a bread bowl and served with a tray of fresh broccoli, carrots, zucchini, or crackers.

This is one of actor Andy Garcia's favorite dishes; the recipe comes from his wife, Marivi. For more of his favorite foods, see "Feedback" in the May 2006 issue of Bon Appétit.

Thin slices of Genoa salami, baked until crisp, add texture and flavor to these sophisticated brunch sandwiches.

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

A new take on carrot cake.

Coconut milk enhances the taste of the white chocolate; kumquats add tang.