Bon Appétit

Carnitas con Salsa de Aguacate y Salsa Mexicana In Uruapan and other parts of Michoacán, large copper cauldrons made in Santa Clara del Cobre are used to fry delicious carnitas in pork lard. This recipe has been adapted for the home cook: Meaty pork ribs are boiled, then fried in their own fat until browned. Use either purchased fresh tomato salsa or Tomato, Onion, and Serrano Chile Salsa . Accompany the carnitas with Classic Red Rice and beans.

The saffron adds not only a lovely aroma but vivid color as well. Open a bottle of Chardonnay to go with the meal.

Similar to the peanut sauce that accompanies an Indonesian satay, this would be nice with chips or crudités.

Be sure to use the whipped cream cheese sold in tubs—it will give this dip a smooth, light texture—and not the regular cream cheese in blocks. If the dip seems a little salty, just serve it with unsalted chips.

Melting the chocolate in the pear poaching liquid makes an instant sauce.

The ultimate onion dip? You decide.

Make oatmeal-cookie crumbs by blending cookies in a processor until finely ground.

Add rice or soft oriental noodles, and this becomes a quick supper. Look for wasabi powder and sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

While staying at the Hotel Villa Flori, which overlooks Italy's Lake Como, I had an outstanding pasta with a chunky pesto sauce," says Patty Owens of Walnut Creek, California. "Is there any chance the chef would share the recipe?" This pesto sauce includes walnuts, a variation on the classic recipe. To give the dish a creamy quality, add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.

Great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chinese egg noodles are at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Risotto, by definition, is made with rice. But other grains—like the barley in this main-course recipe—can be prepared in the same style with equally terrific results. Toasting the barley enhances its nutty flavor and keeps it from getting soft and mushy.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Vanilla-Citrus Tea Ring . Any remaining compote would be great for breakfast or dessert with a spoonful of yogurt or crème fraîche.

Chipotles give these burgers — from Hal's Bar & Grill in Venice, California — a terrific kick.

Serve this entrée with steamed white rice and warm pita rounds.

Lemongrass lends a delicate flavor to this simple roast chicken from Market. Begin marinating the chicken one day ahead.

Take-out sushi is the ideal starter for this meal, and purchased sesame noodles sprinkled with chopped peanuts go perfectly with the main course. Serving mini-scoops of refreshing fruit sorbets — like lemon, peach and boysenberry — with fortune cookies would be a really cool finish.

Try a green salad with Champagne vinaigrette on the side, and some dinner rolls. Serve miniature fruit-filled pastries after.