Scallion

A savory onion-cheese spread turns ordinary packaged biscuit dough into inspired mini appetizer "pizzas."

Serve this stew over rice or on its own as a soup. Either way, sprinkle lettuce with rice vinegar and oriental sesame oil for a light salad. Sliced blood oranges and holiday cookies will do nicely afterward.

On a weekday, accompany this main course with breadsticks and marinated vegetables from the deli. Wrap up with grapes and cookies. For a festive occasion, start with an antipasto of olives and roasted vegetables, then serve an arugula, radicchio and toasted walnut salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. Finish with an Italian fruit crostata.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Serve this appealing hors d'oeurve with cut-up fresh vegetables and breadsticks.

Try these alongside egg dishes at brunch or with soup and salad for lunch.

Wolfgang Puck gets the credit for redefining pizza at his trend-setting Spago restaurant in West Hollywood. The inventive pizzas came topped with everything from goat cheese and Black Forest ham to artichokes and exotic mushrooms. Duck sausage pizzas, like this one, were a real hit.

Peeled, split fava beans for this Egyptian falafel are available in most Italian or Middle Eastern grocery stores. Ta’miyya is served with tehina.

At Canyon Ranch, the ahi is sometimes seared on the grill. We've opted for pan-searing, given the winter weather.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Grilled steak with late summer corn and a squeeze of lime juice. Sound wonderful? It is. Grilled potato wedges make a terrific side.

For this simple—yet boldly flavored—entrée, tuna or sea bass can be substituted. Chilies in the sauce add nice heat.