Spreads

"There are three recipes I like for strawberry jam," says Caroline Bates. "My mother’s long-cooked one may be too much trouble for some people; the sun-cooked version is impractical for city dwellers ('First, find a sunny rooftop....'). But this soft strawberry jam (also my mother’s) is simpler and good, too." Its flavor depends on the berries' being fully sweet, completely ripe yet firm, and with not a trace of white near the stem. Such berries have less pectin than underripe ones, so the jam will be loose. Just spoon it out of a jar and dribble it on biscuits.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

My Grammie Ethel was best known for her cookies and fudge. But she also made a mean chopped liver. What was remarkable about Grammie Ethel's chopped liver was how mild, light and fluffy it was—it didn't taste too much like liver. (This is important when you're eight years old and a finicky eater.) Her secret was the high proportion of hard-boiled egg whites to liver. And the hand-cranked metal meat grinder my grandmother used her whole life to grind the ingredients into a chunky purée. Low-fat chopped liver might seem like an oxymoron. After all, liver is one of the fattiest and most cholesterol-laden substances known to man. By replacing most of the liver with mushrooms (keeping just enough liver for flavor) and by roasting the ingredients in a hot oven instead of sautéeing them, we create a chopped liver that explodes with flavor and is mercifully light on fat. I'm sure my grandmother would have approved. Note: To be in strict accordance with the kashrut, you would boil, not roast, the chicken liver. (This is considered a more effective way to remove the blood.) Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

This southern version of the holiday cranberry sauce includes peaches, one of the region's favorite fruits.

You get a quick sauce when you let compound butter melt on a hot steak.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This recipe is an accompaniment for Miniature Crab Cakes with Tomato Ginger Jam . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

I love these preserves because they're both tart and sweet. For the best color, choose true-red sour cherries. Darker varieties — those that resemble Bing cherries — will make darker preserves, which will also be delicious. The cherries are steeped overnight in sugar, which deepens their flavor and helps them to stay plump. Kernels from the cherry pits (tied in a cheesecloth bag) add an almondy note to the preserves. Active time: 2 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 day (plus 1 day for flavors to develop)

The ultimate onion dip? You decide.

Nigella Lawson If we're talking about family favorites, I couldn't leave liptauer out. It was the deli counter delicacy of my childhood and another eating item I'd all but forgotten about. But something made me remember it, and from taste-memory and some notes from the kitchen book inherited by my friend Olivia from her mother, I tried my hand at making it myself. I can confidently and categorically state that it's not some sentimental yearning that makes me want to see its comeback. You don't need to go in for the retro-molding here, just mix the ingredients and plonk them in a bowl if you like; but whatever, this glorious cream cheese, caper, caraway seed, and paprika combination, spread over sour black bread or — if you don't have the genetic taste for it — over slices of any dark or brown bread that you can get from the supermarket, is rhapsodically unbeatable.

This hors d'oeuvre is as simple as it is flavorful, and it's especially good in the summertime, when the best fresh tomatoes are available. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is very easy to prepare and it makes an elegant addition to any party.

(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.