Shallot

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Polenta is layered with Fontina cheese and cream in this decadent casserole. Offer it with the sausages and tomato sauce, or on its own as a brunch or lunch dish.

When you want to put on the "dog" but not the fat, try this colorful salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

It's best to serve this lobster salad right after you make it, rather than preparing it in advance. If the salad stands for more than half an hour, pineapple enzymes will alter the texture of the lobster meat. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

What to drink: Sauvignon Blanc or a dry rosé, such as a French Bandol.

A star starter from Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A good mold for the timbale is a six-ounce tomato-paste can that has the top and bottom removed.

These bruschette from the cookbook Simple to Spectacular by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman (Broadway Books), look both simple and beautiful. Each is topped with an array of mushrooms—shiitake, cremini, and chanterelle —that is set off by fresh tarragon. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Adapted from Mnemba Island Lodge

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min