Fruit

Coleslaw and a great loaf of bread are all you need with this. (But don't forget a good bottle of white wine, too.)

For variety, use both yellow and red watermelon in the salad.

For a richer version, add a little olive oil.

For a heartier dish, add sliced grilled steak or chicken. Hoisin sauce can be found in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Serve this slightly sweet soup as a cooling first course or a light dessert.

This rustic dessert is great served with a glass of Vin Santo, a sweet Italian white wine.

Said to be created for Ernest Hemingway by Constantino Ribalaigua Vert at El Floridita in Havana. Editor's note: This drink comes from And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis (Crown Publishers) and was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

This delicious tweak on a classic is from Hip Sips by Lucy Brennan (Chronicle Books, Spring 2007) and was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

The base is chewy chocolate cake. Make this terrific dessert a day ahead.

Adding pepper to the honey makes this classic Mediterranean dish new.

The sweetness of a ripe papaya brings a Caribbean taste to a classic English dessert.

Even pears that aren't quite ripe become extraordinarily delicious when roasted until sweet and caramelized. Here, they make the perfect counterpoint to a beautiful mix of bitter greens.