Bon Appétit

This dough is moist, so it should be made in a heavy-duty electric mixer.

You can use whatever fruit you have on hand for this quick, pretty dessert.

Curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon give this dish a hint of the exotic.

Wrapped foods, such as the Vietnamese spring roll, the Filipino lumpia and the Chinese egg roll, have a long history in Asian cooking and are hot items right now all across America. The lime juice, ginger, cilantro, cucumber and mint in this recipe are found in the cuisines of all Southeast Asian countries. Round out this dinner with hot or iced jasmine tea and cold Thai beer.

For easier crumbling, chill the cheese before adding it to the salad. The French lentils called for here are sold at specialty foods stores; regular brown lentils can be used, and the cooking time is about the same.

Offer these with cocktails before dinner, or sprinkle them over holiday salads.

Leeks, shallots, onions and garlic combine to make a rich, delicious side dish.

This clever combination of tastes and textures features hominy, cilantro, jicama, jalapeños, lime juice and cumin.

The grill-and a dash of roasted garlic oil-give the asparagus terrific flavor without adding much fat.

This simple and delicious starter gets a hint of spiciness from cayenne pepper.

A make-ahead smoked salmon butter and some fresh cod dress up clam chowder beautifully for company. Team the stew with a favorite coleslaw and warm buttermilk biscuits for a cozy winter meal.

Serve this quick treat with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

This stuffing is based on ingredients prevalent throughout the Midwest. Michigan dried cherries are often used to accent dishes in that state, while prunes, raisins and dried currants are often found in many sweet and savory recipes from Ohio and Indiana. Using only three tablespoons of butter for ten servings makes this dish low in fat, too.