Starter

A great combination of flavors that makes an elegant first course--for brunch or for dinner. The timbales need to be chilled overnight, so begin preparing this dish a day before serving.

Creating her own versions of restaurant dishes is a hobby of Christina's. This is her interpretation of a pasta she had while dining out in San Francisco.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this flavorful saffron-scented dish as either an appetizer or a main course.

This recipe was inspired by one from olive oil expert Lidia Colavita. You can make a meal around the bread by offering it as an accompaniment to bean soup.

Complement this fragrant dish with Asian noodles or steamed rice.

These small pizzas from Indigo in Honolulu feature sweet caramelized onions, spicy chicken, and mozzarella, Swiss and provolone cheeses. Refrigerated pizza dough is used here to simplify the recipe. Chili-garlic sauce can be substituted for the Thai chili sauce if necessary.

This soup can also be served chilled.

Crisp baguette slices are a natural with this, or serve the Rosemary Toasts, substituting tarragon for the rosemary. Either way, a salad of Boston lettuce and Belgian endive with lemon vinaigrette makes a lovely accompaniment, and a fruit tart is a good grand finale.

Carrots, red onion, cilantro, Kalamata olives and a fragrant cumin dressing make a lovely summertime salad.

Red onions, sweetest in the summer, are caramelized and combined with pancetta to top toasted country-style bread for a sensational starter.