Lime

A lime and soy dipping sauce accompanies this appetizer from A Pacific Cafe in Kapaa, on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

These messy but irresistible ears of corn coated with cheese are a popular street snack in Mexico. For our recipe we used cotija, a crumbly, pungent, aged-curd cheese that can range in consistency from soft to very hard, depending on the brand. (We made ours with Los Fortales, a hard variety available at cheese shops and some specialty foods shops.) You can, however, substitute feta, which is more widely available. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Lime curd and tart cranberries are balanced by a layer of sweet white chocolate cream. For best results, use imported white chocolate, such as Lindt or Perugina. Begin preparing the tart two days before you plan to serve it.

Most kids will like the dressing, but you might want to put it on the side just in case. Serve pink lemonade to the kids; the grown-ups might prefer iced tea or sangria.

"I'm hoping to get the recipe for a terrific appetizer I tried at Hamiltons' at First & Main in Charlottesville, Virginia," says Sue Carter of Murieta, California. "The seafood fritters came with lettuce leaves (to wrap around the fritters) and a spicy sauce."

"Every meal I've had at Addie's, a small place in nearby Rockville, has been great," says Alyssa Shooshan of Potomac, Maryland. "I especially like the lime cake; in fact, it's one of my favorite desserts. I do a lot of entertaining and would love to make the cake for a party."

A sure-fire way to get the kids to eat their vegetables—and chips, of course.

This springtime dish would go nicely with sliced red and yellow tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette; offer corn muffins, too. End the dinner with wedges of chocolate mousse cake.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

We thought we would update the popular Cosmopolitan by substituting Champagne for the usual lemon vodka. We garnished the drinks with skewers of sugar-coated fresh cranberries (thawed frozen ones will work just fine, too).

Fools are light desserts made of fruit and whipped cream. They date back to the fifteenth century. White chocolate gives this classic a contemporary twist.

The slightly sweet sauce is a nice complement to the delicate fish. Serve it with stir-fried green beans and steamed rice.