Shallot

This salad is prepared in the French style known as à la grecque, in which vegetables are cooked in a lemon and olive-oil marinade (often infused with coriander and pepper) and then served cold. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Shrimp or sea scallops would also work well in this recipe. Serve with: Grilled plum tomatoes, herbed orzo salad, and grilled French bread.

This condiment can be tossed with asparagus and potatoes for an easy salad, dolloped onto scrambled eggs, or spread on bruschetta.

The success of this dish depends entirely on the quality of your ingredients. Now's the time to use your best olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and a generous amount of a flavorful sea salt.

Serve couscous and buttered carrots with this main course. Purchase fresh rhubarb tartlets for a seasonal finale.

Serve as a first course on a bed of arugula or as a side dish with grilled beef or chicken.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Master Stock Chicken .

We used chef Fergus Henderson's technique for braising duck legs so the skin sides, peeking above the liquid like "alligators in a swamp," stay crisp while the meat braises.

Cranberry sauce or huckleberry preserves can be substituted for the lingonberry preserves. Serve with: Roasted fingerling potatoes tossed with dill, and a mixed green salad.

Yam Taeng Kwa Dried shrimp are an acquired taste; they have a very strong fish flavor. But this salad is wonderfully refreshing even without the shrimp. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Venison is best served rare to medium, as it is a very lean meat that toughens and develops a strong flavor if overcooked. The following recipe may also be made with a 2 1/2-pound beef fillet.

From the Snake River Grill in Jackson, Wyoming.

This elegant first course is ideal for entertaining, because everything can be prepared a day ahead (just chop up all the toppings and refrigerate them until ready to use).

This appetizer can be made with the leftover snails from Scallops with Snail-Garlic Butter and Leeks .

Liptauer gained its name from the provenance of the fresh sheep's milk cheese with which it was originally made, Lipto, Hungary. Our version of this seasoned spread is made with cream cheese.

"We enjoyed everything about The Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills — the location, the rooms and the terrific restaurants. The last time I stayed there, I had the most delicious salmon burger at the Roof Garden," says Diana Goldstein of Washington, D.C.. "Now that I've had this version, I may never go back to beef burgers."

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr