Bon Appétit

If you can't find the Gala variety, use Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.

"The citrus-Champagne granita was the perfect ending to a dinner I had at The Harvest in Pomfret, Connecticut," writes Phyllis A. Nigris of Johnston, Rhode Island. "I love this type of cool, refreshing dessert, so I would be grateful if you could obtain the recipe."

This recipe is a lower-fat version of a dish Richard remembers from the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago.

Made with less water than is used for soft polenta, the firm polenta in this appetizer has a texture like that of dough. Make sure the work surface, rolling pin and cookie cutter are wet — otherwise, the polenta will stick.

A pretty garnish for the Caramel-Coated Pumpkin Flan , these grapes could also dress up a platter of cheeses.

Here's a rustic dish that is typical of Naples.

Purchased sorbet, frozen yogurt and pound cake make this the season's quickest elegant dessert.

This recipe originally accompanied Old-Fashioned Tapioca with Lemon Sauce . This is also nice over angel food cake or a favorite frozen yogurt.

A sophisticated dessert that is great on its own, mixed with sweet berries or used as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt.

About two centuries ago, field workers near Valencia began sharing a luncheon dish made of rice, vegetables, snails and eels cooked in a flat, oval, two-handled metal pan known as a paellera. And so paella was born.
Rice dishes made in such a pan, whatever the ingredients, are called paella or just arroz con ("rice with"), followed by a description of the contents. The traditional components of this particular version are snails, rabbit and rosemary, which are found in the Valencian mountains.
This equally delectable rendition omits the snails and substitutes chicken for rabbit.
This recipe can be made in a paella pan, a flameproof earthenware casserole or a large skillet.

This simple soup, known as zuppa Sarda, is eaten year-round all over Sardinia.