Blender

This is our basic vinaigrette, three parts oil, one part acid, pared almost to its essentials—no shallots, no salt and pepper—so that it can be used almost like a sauce base. The mustard adds flavor and strengthens the emulsion. Any number of additional ingredients may be added to it, depending on how it's to be used. Most often it's used to dress greens that have been seasoned with salt and tossed with fresh herbs, as with the Bibb Lettuce Salad .

Our food editors find the texture of pineapple sherbet so much lighter and fluffier than that of other sherbets and sorbets — it practically has the weightlessness of granita. It provides a wonderful, tangy balance to the rich ambrosia cake and is delicious on its own, too.

Mâche is sold in different ways — sometimes it comes in a package with soil plugs attached and sometimes you can find it loose, like mesclun. If you're buying it with plugs attached, you'll need 1 1/2 pounds; if you're buying it loose, you'll need 5 ounces.

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida, writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America." This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

We prefer the taste of organic canned tomatoes in this particular recipe, as they tend to be sweeter. If using other canned tomatoes, you might want to add a bit more sugar to balance their acidity.

Created during the '20s at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Green Goddess dressing goes modern here with the addition of goat cheese.

Diane Brown Savahge of Los Angeles, California, writes: "I'm a part-time restaurant manager and food writer, and occasionally I teach cooking classes. One piece of advice I always share with my students is to keep the ingredients list short — you don't need to empty out your refrigerator to make a great meal. You just need a few quality ingredients with bold flavors."

A vanilla bean is an extravagance that lends a note of sophistication to this drink, but extract is a fine substitute.

Long before smoothies swept our nation, Puerto Rico and Cuba were whipping up their own fruit shakes, known as batidos.