Toast

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 50 min Pasta wasn't always the carbohydrate vehicle of choice — in the '40s, lots of saucy things were spooned onto toast. These mushrooms appeared in one of our stories about Katish — the Russian cook immortalized by Gourmet's Wanda E. Ivanoff — who liked their versatility as a side dish or main course, and who often made a big batch to keep on hand for impromptu snacks.

"I was married last spring, and my husband and I spent our honeymoon in Del Mar, California, at L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa," writes Leah Morgan of Shoreline, Washington. "While we were there, we enjoyed the cinnamon-raisin French toast. I would love to surprise my husband by re-creating this special breakfast at home." You’ll need to buy unsliced bread from a bakery to make this super-thick French toast.

To make this easy appetizer even easier, substitute store-bought roasted red bell peppers for the home-roasted ones.

These five-ingredient sardine toasts make the perfect party snacks to pass around during cocktail hour.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The robust flavor of Grey Celtic salt complements the greens perfectly.

A quick and easy breakfast treat.

Red onions, sweetest in the summer, are caramelized and combined with pancetta to top toasted country-style bread for a sensational starter.

Start with mugs of tomato soup, then serve a tossed green salad with these open-face sandwiches. To wrap up such a straightforward Rocky Mountain-style dinner, put out giant sugar cookies, a basket of pears and a bowl of candied almonds. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These little toasts are nice before dinner or alongside a green salad.