Bon Appétit

Here's an easy-to-make entrée flavored with a spicy marinade; the shrimp are nice on a bed of salad greens or with rice.

This uses the same ingredients found in boudin blanc, the classic French white sausage. Start two days before serving.

These savory pancakes can be an appetizer, a side dish or a meatless main course.

If you don't have a spice mill, you can crush the whole spices in a heavy plastic bag, then grind them finely in the blender.

Some cinnamon and pepper give these wonderful cookies a south-of-the-border flavor.

At the restaurant Charlie Trotter bakes these small soufflés in thimble-shaped molds and sets them atop rounds of his own dried-fig brioche. Although he likes to use white Muscat grapes for the sauce, the recipe works well with any color or variety of grape. We used red seedless grapes, and they yielded a beautiful dark-pink sauce.

For trained foragers, the autumn forests around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, yield an abundant wild mushroom crop. Celebrate the harvest with this succulent pork roast, accented with mustard, another typical ingredient of the region. Begin the meal with a relish platter, and offer an American Pinot Noir or beer.

There's something for everyone in this traditional specialty. Don't forget to soak the bamboo skewers before using them.

A lovely array of textures and flavors. Very nice with skewers of grilled scallops or panfried salmon fillets.

To peel apricots, blanch about 20 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water, then slip off the peels with a paring knife.

Here's a modern spin on blini, the buckwheat pancakes that are a classic for caviar. Also topping them with smoked salmon is a delightful way to gild the lily.

This cool indulgence is actually made with light cream cheese and low-fat sour cream. Begin preparing it the day before your party.

For this dip, based on the Mexican queso fundido, you will need to use a flameproof dish set over candles or Sterno to keep the cheese melted. Kevin Taylor, chef of Cafe Iguana, Denver, Colorado also offers guacamole with the chips.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. You don't know where the fish ends and the potatoes begin in this beautiful and satisfying dish Chef Desmond, of Island Cottage on Hare Island in Ireland, uses turbot that comes from the waters off nearby Clear Island. We call for halibut, which is more readily available here.

Cunetto House of Pasta in St. Louis has an excellent grilled skewered chicken entrée. Sometimes I even make a special trip just to have it. Could you request the recipe? Georgeann King Memphis, Tennessee

Don't worry if you can't wait for this yummy cake to cool - it's also delicious warm.