Easter

Steamed asparagus and a baguette are good accompaniments. Drizzle Champagne over raspberries and diced pineapple for dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A wonderful brunch dish. You will need to begin preparing it a day before serving.

"My wife, Jean, and I run a coffee farm on the Big Island of Hawaii," writes George Fike of Keauhou Mauka, Hawaii. "I really love to cook, so we entertain a lot, and I enjoy planning the dinners as much as I do making them. I tell people the best restaurant in town is our house! Since I do most of the cooking, recipes must either be relatively fast or look after themselves." Based on George's mother's recipe, this is an easy, moist, and tender carrot cake with delicate tropical flavors and macadamia nuts. There are a lot of ingredients, but they come together in just minutes.

Stuart Faber of Los Angeles, California, writes: "When I'm not in my law office, I fly my own plane and write for In Flight USA, a magazine for private pilots. One of my favorite things to do when landing someplace new is to find a restaurant and ask if I can work for free. I've found some of my best recipes this way. Usually the chefs will let me hang out for a few days and help, but some do look at me a little strangely." A dressed-up version of a dinnertime classic.

Chervil's delicate anise flavor enhances the season's baby vegetables. If you don't have chervil, substitute fresh dill.

What to drink: Fruity, soft red wines — such as Merlot and some Zinfandels — work well with the mustard glaze and ham.

Serve with: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc • saffron-scented couscous • glazed baby carrots • mint-chocolate mousse

For a pretty decorative touch, snip a V at one end of each snow pea.

These special sweet buns, marked with a symbolic cross, are a fixture on many Easter tables. They are delicious plain; with fresh fruit (we loved them with the first strawberries of the season); or split, toasted, and spread with butter and jam.

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

In this dish from La Belle Vie in Stillwater, Minnesota, the asparagus could be broiled if that's more convenient.

Tyrenies Variation on a theme: These Kimolos cheese pies are one kind of dozens of similar cheese pies found throughout the Cyclades.