Snack

Mary Tuohy, a Cappagh, County Tyrone, native who now lives in Redbank, New Jersey, has been making this raisin tea cake for so long that she can almost do it from memory. She says, "I can't remember where the recipe came from, but we used to bake it over an open turf fire back home. It came to me on a piece of dilapidated paper, which I still have." It's a very moist cake, she says, nearly foolproof. "You can't go wrong with it."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An unexpected combination of ingredients updates the classic Italian dessert. It is presented in individual servings here, but the ladyfingers, espresso and filling can be layered in a large dish and offered with the sauce on the side if you prefer.

This is a variant on lemon surprise pudding, in which the mixture divides on cooking to produce a sponge above the thick lemony sauce which forms below. Indeed, it is known in my house as Lemon Surprise Pudding, the surprise being that it's chocolate. Although I didn't actually eat this as a child, it is heady with reminders of childhood foods: the hazelnuts in the sponge bring back memories of Nutella, the thick, dark, fudgy sauce of chocolate spread. The proportions below are geared towards 6, but easily feed 8. It's heavenly with fridge-cold heavy cream poured over it. It is also child's play to make. Choose good cocoa and good chocolate and stick carefully to the exact measurements. (You can, though, use 1 2/3 cups flour in place of the 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/2 cup ground nuts, if you prefer increasing the amount of baking powder needed to 1 1/2 teaspoons.) Use one of those standard white soufflé dishes 8 inches in diameter, or a shallow square 12-inch pan. If you've got only a single oven, it makes sense to use the shallow dish: it will take less time to cook.

If time is an issue, you can always buy flatbread crackers, but the store-bought kind will never compare to these homemade ones.

(Crostini di Fegatini) Crostini means "little crusts," and in Tuscany, almost every meal begins with a platter of toasted bread slices topped with chopped tomatoes, olive paste or this all-time favorite spread made with chicken livers. Use thin slices of an Italian or French country-style loaf, and serve these crostini with the chicken liver spread on top, or just present the pâté in a pretty bowl surrounded by the toasted baguette slices. Salami and prosciutto would be delicious accompaniments.

Churros are a Spanish classic, usually sold in street-side shops and quickly transported home or to a local café to enjoy with thick hot chocolate. They're made with a piece of equipment called a churrera, which is a type of pastry tube.

These pistachios make an unusual but addictive cocktail snack. The recipe was inspired by some versions we tried at Restaurant Sent Sov‭, in Saratoga, California.

Developed in 1923, the boysenberry is a hybrid of the blackberry, raspberry and loganberry.

Called Upper Peninsula Pasties, the original crusts, made with barley flour and little fat, were tough enough to survive a day in the copper mines. Boston-based pastry chef Greg Case has devised this more tender version. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Jews from Persia (present-day Iran) are especially proud of Queen Esther's role in the holiday of Purim. A favorite dish of Iranian children is halvah, which they eat after they break the fast of Esther, observed on Adar 13. At nursery school, Merissa learned this recipe for halvah from an Iranian teacher. In between tastes, the children played with Esther and Ahasuerus marionettes they had made with the help of their teacher.

Here is a sensational layering of cake and toffee sauce that's served warm, accompanied by whipped cream or crème fraîche.

These cheese straws may be assembled and frozen ahead of time and then baked at the last minute, as described in the procedure. Alternatively, they can be put together and baked the day before serving and kept in an airtight container, though they will not be as crisp as just-baked cheese straws. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.