Strawberry

Probably named for the Russian royal family, this dish gained popularity at San Francisco's Palace Hotel.

This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Shortcakes with Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberries and Fudge Sauce.

Serve these strawberries with vanilla bean ice cream, black pepper ice cream, or a spoonful of mascarpone, and with cookies such as biscotti or spicy sugar cookies alongside.

Celebrate the start of strawberry season by making this delicious spread. The fresh berry flavor is deepened by the cinnamon.

When he was the chef at the Carlton Hotel in London, Escoffier created Strawberries Americaine Style — strawberries in orange liqueur, blended into whipped cream and softened ice cream. Little did he know that it would one day be the star dessert of every posh dining spot in California. "Prince" Mike Romanoff "borrowed" the recipe and gave it a new moniker. Soon it was the hottest item on the West Coast. The L.A. Biltmore called it "Strawberries Biltmore." The Palace Hotel in San Francisco served it with anisette and maraschino.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

White Chocolate Tartlets with Strawberries and Bananas These irresistible sweets feature a hazelnut crust that is lined with dark chocolate and filled with white chocolate mousse.

"Inspired by Caroline Bates's Chesapeake Bay article in the June 1998 Gourmet, I decided to spend a couple of days there with a friend from Holland," says Susan Tingle Goldthwaite of Teaneck, New Jersey. "We stayed at the Waterloo Country Inn and were pleasantly surprised to find that the inn now has a restaurant, called David's at the Waterloo, open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The strawberry napoleon was unlike anything I have ever tasted. Wonderfully fresh strawberries were swirled in the most luscious cream concoction and nestled between two lacy almond cookies. My mouth starts watering just thinking of it again! I'd love to have the recipe." Editors' note: It turns out that chef David Wells and his wife, Lillian, have since moved their restaurant to Salisbury, Maryland, which is about 10 miles from the Waterloo Country Inn. They still offer this delicious dessert at their new place, David's (a bistro!).

Refreshing and absolutely delicious. Mix up this treat in the morning, and it will be frozen in time to help beat the heat by the early afternoon.

Add a splash of Angostura bitters, a flavoring found in the supermarket's liquor section, for an intriguing spicy note.

Start making this at least one day ahead.

Very nice for a fancy dinner party, these little tartlets have an almond crust, tangy lemon filling and strawberries on top.

Any colorful combination of seasonal fruit can be used to decorate this pretty dessert.

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.

Also called bimuelos, these are a typical Sephardic Hanukkah dessert. The oil in which they are deep-fried commemorates the time during the second century B. C. when a vial of oil, enough for only one day, is said to have burned in the Temple for eight days after the Jews' victory over their Syrian oppressors.

A favorite Christmas drink is transformed into this lovely custard.

Giving a nod to tropical fruit, this irresistible treat combines rich ice cream with a nut crust and thick fudge sauce.