Blender

I developed this light and tasty Italian-style tuna salad for Parma, an Italian fresh-made fast-food company that had quite a successful run in Philadelphia, including Air Parma at the airport. The salad is light because the tuna is dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice instead of the usual mayonnaise. The fresh herbs give it brightness, and the red bell peppers and purple olives make for a colorful and appetizing preparation. The important thing here is to use the tasty tuna packed in olive oil enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region, rather than the drier, rather mealy white tuna packed in water.

A savory take on noodle kugel, this beautiful dish is creamy on the inside with a golden-crisp crust. Using thin egg fettuccine rather than traditional short, wide egg noodles adds elegance.

Served with small scoops of ice cream and a pink-hued syrup, this fruit-filled dessert delivers a glorious finale to a special dinner. Strudel dough looks more difficult to make than it really is. The secret is using bread flour, a high-gluten flour, which allows you to stretch a small amount of dough over a large surface.

Beautifully bright green, this herbaceous oil really enhances the anise flavor in the lobster gelées.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Center at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa. This recipe makes 1/2 cup more dressing than needed for Chef Jesus González's picante jicama and roasted carrot salad. The extra dressing is good on all sorts of salads, and will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for 3 days.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Ming Tsai's book, Ming's Master's Recipes. Use 1 cup of glaze as a dipping sauce for Ming Tsai's pork potstickers and cranberry-crab rangoons and the other cup to make his braised short ribs.

Start with a spread of smoked salmon, bread, crème fraîche, lemon wedges, and capers. Then serve this satisfying yet light soup as the first course.

This elegant soup doesn't look or taste anything like leftovers.

This comforting side would also be great for brunch.

According to lore, the original mole was served with turkey that had been fattened with hazelnuts. In this variation, which doesn't include chocolate, hazelnuts are featured in the sauce.

The secret to this simple recipe is using the best carrots you can find; taste them to make sure they are sweet and full of flavor.

A smooth chestnut purée and plenty of butter make these mashed potatoes a must-have at the holiday table.

In January, we published a classic mole poblano that takes 3 1/2 hours to make — but a respectable version of the revered dish can also be had in much less time.

Rich, smooth, decadent, and stunning: There's a reason why food this luscious persists more than two decades later.

This refreshing treat, from Mridula Baljekar, author of Indian Cooking Without Fat (Metro Books), is a cool finish to spicy dishes.

Long, slow cooking is the key to these tender, juicy birds, braised in an autumnal mix of apples, cider, and caramelized onion. If pheasant is hard to come by, you can substitute chicken.