Beverages

Serve over vanilla ice cream and top with whipped cream.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

All of the components for this sophisticated dessert can be made the day before, then assembled quickly at the last minute. Sabayon (also called zabaglione) is a custard sauce that is whisked over hot water until it is light and foamy.

Very nice for a fancy dinner party, these little tartlets have an almond crust, tangy lemon filling and strawberries on top.

Serve this sophisticated entrée on a bed of spinach linguine that has been tossed with sautéed strips of red and yellow bell peppers.

Pretty ice cream treats, decorated five different ways. Turn the freezer to the coldest setting for best results. Pack the left-over ice cream into a container and freeze it to enjoy after the bonbons are gone. Begin this recipe at least a day ahead (and you can start up to a week ahead). Once you¸ve mastered the technique here, create bonbons of your own using other homemade ice creams or your favorite purchased ones.

These chewy cookies are great with ice cream, espresso or a glass of Marsala.

To help these filled tomatoes sit steadily on a serving tray, rest them on their stem ends after scooping out and filling the opposite, blossom, ends.

To make these ice pops nonalcoholic, substitute freshly squeezed orange juice for the tequila.

Though these 1/4-cup dessert portions may seem small, you wouldn't want them any larger — they're extremely rich.

Yakitori at its simplest is a chicken shish kabab with a very Japanese flavor. Pieces of dark meat are served either by themselves, neatly speared onto the ends of small bamboo skewers (three makes a serving), or interspersed with bits of green bell pepper or scallion. As the meat is grilled, it is dipped into a sweetened soy-based sauce. The servings are tantalizingly small, but you can have as many as you want. If you are hungry enough for a full meal, you can serve yakitori on a bowl of rice with tea and pickles on the side.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Buttermilk Ice Cream with Spiced Fruit Compote .

Coffee beans soften the heat of the chile and bring out the other flavors in this paste-like marinade. You can also use the paste on chicken, as they do at Maroons, where this dish is served. Begin marinating the meat the day before.

Jason Corrigan, of A Touch of Garlic in Springfield, Massachusetts, writes: "As the chef at a small Italian restaurant, I have only two nights per week off. That's when I like to come up with simple dishes that my four-year-old daughter and I can make together at home. Well, mostly she just does a lot of pouring and stirring, but she loves to help. I hope one day her younger sister will, too." Make and chill these a day ahead for a treat that doesn't require much last-minute effort.