European

Cava, Spain's sparkling wine, is readily available at supermarkets and liquor stores.

This dessert, prominent in the window of virtually every Paris pastry shop, is a true classic. The puff pastry rounds are usually filled with an almond mixture, but my version features hazelnuts and chocolate. Purchased pastry makes it approachable for the modern cook. Since it reheats nicely, the Pithiviers can be made ahead.

Greeks call this fassolakia Iadera. It's a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A nice hors d'oeuvre teaming fresh vegetables with a simplified version of rouille, the spicy red pepper and garlic sauce that typically accompanies French fish soups.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This Italian version of fruitcake is dense, chewy and candy-like. Wrap it in brightly colored cellophane for giving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This simple entrée is a variation of a dish from Ristorante Don Alfonso in the town of Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, just outside Naples. There, it's sometimes served on toasted Italian bread, which soaks up the "crazy water" - the tomato-based sauce. The fish is quick to prepare and is also low in fat.

A salad of baby greens and raspberry vinaigrette and some pencil-thin breadsticks go well with the pasta. End the dinner with orange sherbet, Swedish butter cookies and, perhaps, a shot of aquavit.

Using sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil cuts down on fat. You can find them at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

This colorful blend of bell peppers is as delicious at room temperature as it is hot, so it could be several hours ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For this osso buco we've substituted lamb shanks for the more traditional veal. We've also borrowed from the Greeks, adding avgolemono, a bright-tasting sauce of eggs, lemon juice, and broth.