Goat Cheese

Kristine Subido, chef at Wave in Chicago, makes you forget about pasta.

The marmalade can also be served with a cheese plate or simply spread on toast.

Squash is often sold already peeled and seeded, making this recipe even easier.

Studies show that sweeter-than-sugar honey has disease-fighting antioxidants. It also makes Bonaparte's unique dessert bee-licious!

Look for a dark honey, such as forest honey, which is available at specialty foods stores and from kalustyans.com. WHAT TO DRINK: Try the 2004 Château Grillon, a delicious Sauternes that won't break the bank (France, $19 for 375 ml).

Tamal "en cazuela" Combining pork shoulder, Sherry, and a classic Cuban marinade of garlic, cumin, and sour orange in a ropa vieja–like stew that gets tucked between corn-rich pastry, this hearty meal is ideal for a big family gathering. True, it takes some effort, but the good news is that you can break up the tasks and finish them ahead of time—leaving nothing to worry about except the reheating (and maybe the in-laws).

The restaurant uses house-made pasta, but wonton wrappers also work well (they're in the refrigerated deli section of most supermarkets).

Chef Scott Boswell of Stella! in New Orleans keeps it simple: Sweet plum wedges are served with greens, goat cheese, and a bright vinaigrette.

This raw dish is all about the best ingredients you can find. A great goat cheese and a fruity, high-quality olive oil will result in flavor that's as stunning as the presentation.

The classic frittata offers an elegant solution for those times when you have only eggs and cheese in the fridge. Combined with some of spring's freshest flavors, it provides a healthy dose of fiber, omega-3s, and vitamins A and D.

Why you'll make it: Because it's everything that's good at the market right now in one good-for-you salad.

Pink peppercorns and peppercorn mélange (a mixture of black, pink, green, and white peppercorns) are available at many supermarkets.

Who doesn't love toasted cheese? Here it adds tang to a Mediterranean-inspired salad of frisée, broiled bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms.

Beets are high in folate, a vitamin that may help ward off heart disease; this dish delivers 1/3 of your daily requirement.

There's enough dough for one more pizza, so freeze the extra. The vital wheat gluten flour is high in protein and helps create a chewy crust. It's sold at some supermarkets and natural foods stores. Bread flour will also give great results.

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.

Serve these mini pizzas as an appetizer with drinks.