Blender

If you're using reactive metal molds for your panna cottas, make sure there are no rust spots — the acid in the buttermilk and the fruit will react to the exposed rust and cause the panna cotta to discolor. We had the best luck with molds made of nonreactive materials such as stainless steel, glass, and ceramic.

We used a food mill to coarsely purée the tomatoes, but you could use a blender.

Joan and David Oswalt of Pasadena, California, write: "David and I both love to cook, but our approaches couldn't be more different. He'll start from scratch and spend months perfecting a particular dish, while I prefer to take a basic recipe and just add my own touches."

This low-fat soup is rich in calcium and antioxidants.

This is my friend Paule Caillat's recipe, with its meltingly tender all-butter crust. Instructions for poaching fresh pears are included, but if you want to save time, do what Paule and other French women in a hurry do — use canned pear halves. Just drain the canned pears, dry them very well, and carry on.

A far is a custardy pudding cake, similar to a clafouti but with a dense, smooth, flan-like texture. This one, studded with brandy-soaked prunes and raisins, is the signature pastry of Brittany, served for breakfast as well as dessert.

What to drink: Pour brut or rosé Champagne throughout the meal, or pair the soup with a light red wine (try an Oregon Pinot Noir) and the Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab with a fragrant dry white, such as Viognier or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, we recommend baking the yuca gratin ahead; while it cooks, brown the lamb and coat with the sauce and farofa. When the gratin comes out of the oven, the lamb can go in. (The gratin will stay warm while the lamb bakes and stands.)

Pozole can refer to hominy, as well as to the name of the stew made with it.

Calabazas are commonly found at Latino markets already cut into large wedges; kabochas are generally sold at natural foods stores.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here. Pineapple is the international symbol of welcome, and this light dessert is prepared in advance so all you have to do when guests arrive is serve it. I first had it at the beach. It originated with my friend David Mandel, and he's made many variations of it with different fruits.