Parade

This recipe is an accompaniment for Annabel's Baby Back Ribs. Prepare this sauce 2 days ahead of your party for the flavors to meld. Any extra freezes well.

I like using Israeli couscous for this dish, although pearl barley may be substituted. This couscous is quite starchy and should be rinsed after cooking.

This idea comes from The Mercer Kitchen, a great restaurant in New York City's SoHo district that serves innovative, bold-flavored food. Color, as well as taste, is important here, so arrange the veggies carefully.

Roasting the lamb on a large oven or cake rack that's placed over the gratin dish allows its succulent juices to flavor the vegetables. This spring dish is one of my favorite recipes from Bistro Cooking (Workman, 1989), by Patricia Wells.

Joan Nathan's The Foods of Israel Today is full of intensely flavored recipes, such as this salad. Grab a copy now, while so many fresh vegetables are available.

Baking the potato adds an interesting depth of flavor to the salad and lends a mouth-pleasing texture.

It is essential to slice the brownie in half through the middle lengthwise; otherwise, the cake slices will be too thick.

This delicate cut of meat is ideally sautéed (a quick cook in butter or oil) until lightly browned. Don't overcook!

Start with a very high oven temperature to seal in the meat juices. (This is equivalent to browning meat before roasting.) When the meat comes out of the oven, let it rest before carving, or the juices will run out.

I recommend that you strain the blackberry mixture, because the little seeds will only get caught in your teeth.

The vegetables can be prepared ahead and finished up to the middle of step 3. Heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Try not to break up the large lumps of crabmeat, because the salad looks best when the fresh, white meat stands out.

Always cool the stuffing completely before filling the turkey.

The cumin really enhances this dish. Cook this spice with the onions to bring out its aroma. Lemon juice brightens the flavors while honey softens them.

Kathy Lee, Valley Center, Calif.
If you can't find a package of thighs at the market, buy whole chickens. You (or the butcher) can cut up the chickens and freeze the leftover pieces for another use.

Halibut is the largest member of the flatfish family, which also includes flounder. It should be cooked with some liquid, such as wine or broth, so the fish stays moist.

Fresh orange juice always makes the best cranberry relish. Zest whole oranges before squeezing them for juice.

Begin with a ripe mango or ripen in a paper bag. First peel the skin off the mango. Slice it lengthwise on either side of the pit. This may be 4 slices. The pit may be oval. Use a serrated knife and proceed with the recipe.

If you buy a boneless ham, you'll still have the same amount of meat to eat, about 10 to 12 pounds (because the bone accounts for about 4 pounds). The bottom line is that the recipe directions are the same, regardless of the cut of ham.