Pear

For this recipe, it's worth the effort to look for purslane at your local farmers market or specialty produce store. The salad green's fleshy texture and subtle citrus notes work well with the gentle flavors of Meyer lemon and makrut lime leaves.

The following sauce is a variation on applesauce and can be served on its own or as an accompaniment to meats.

The word chutney comes from the Hindustani chatni, which means "strong spices." The sweet juiciness of golden pineapples — much more intensely flavored than ordinary pineapples — balances the spices with the lusciousness that only tropical foods possess. But you can substitute regular pineapple if you cannot find the golden variety, and the chutney will still be complementary. Serve it with Jerked Pork Chops or any grilled meat.

Caffelatte is what Italians of all ages have for breakfast at home. For small children it is a cupful of warm milk lightly stained with coffee, the ratio of coffee to milk increasing with one's years. It is often accompanied by some store-bought biscuits, but not in my assistant Nadia's family. She lives on her father's farm outside Venice with her husband and small boy, and for her son Tommaso she bakes wholesome cakes with fresh fruit. He has some with his caffeelatte and takes another piece to school to eat for merenda, recess. I was particularly taken with the cake Nadia makes when there is no more summer fruit on the farm. She uses pears and apples and always adds a banana she buys in town. The proportions of one fruit to another may vary, and indeed Nadia says they always do, but nothing much can go wrong or affect the cake's plainspoken, engagingly fresh taste.

Washington pears and California raisins complement each other deliciously. This is perfect with vanilla ice cream.

Baked in individual ring molds, these little desserts feature caramelized pears, streusel topping and sweetened cream.

The eclectic menu at Razz's Restaurant & Bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, takes its cues from around the world. This curried veal dish is representative of chef-owner Erasmo "Razz" Kamnitzers talents. Razz is fond od of grains, so rice pilaf is appropriate here, along with steamed green and yellow zucchini. Vanilla puddings sprinkled with pistachios and raspberries would make a nice finish to this exotic menu. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An added pleasure of this salad lunch is that you can mix your own. Take a large tray and line it with grape leaves or large flat leaves of leaf lettuce. In the center place a shallow dish piled high with heart leaves of lettuce, watercress and spikes of French endive. Around this dish, on the grape leaves, arrange fruits according to your liking, such as:

This cake and custard sauce can also be made ahead. Both should come out of the refrigerator, to take the chill off, when the first course is served. The accompanying caramelized pears, which require not more than a few minutes to sauté, make a welcome addition to the cool custard sauce and moist cake.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The trick to this gorgeous dessert is to use imported white chocolate and to melt it carefully, since white chocolate is extremely heat sensitive. Let the terrine mixture get only warm enough to melt the white chocolate and butter.

This autumnal dish is especially appropriate and welcome as the first course on a cool fall evening. The subtle sweetness of the squash is enhanced by the flavors of the pears, orange, and ginger, making it a great addition also to the Thanksgiving Table.

Lowcountry cooking is full of ideas that seem foreign to outsiders. This sweet and spicy chutney is the perfect foil for salty country ham. Ground together, the two form a paste for memorable appetizers.

In a large menu, the salad is often served after a number of hearty dishes, so the portions are scaled down. For a smaller meal, this amount would serve 4 to 5 hearty salad eaters.

This salad was inspired by one we had in Rome that was made with Stracchino cheese, but we've used mascarpone, which makes an admirable and accessible substitute. (Stracchino, a springtime cheese, is difficult to find here, even in season.) Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

"Although desserts are not my forte, I wanted to send in this simple yet impressive dessert, which contains only five ingredients," says Debra Anderson of Destin, Florida. "It reminds me of the beautiful pastries displayed in bakery shop windows in France."