Chive

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This savory cheesecake from noted chef Marcel Desaulniers of The Trellis restaurant makes a standout first course for a large dinner party.

Truffle oil adds earthy nuances to this summer soup, but don't worry if you don't have any on hand: The soup will still be good without it. Open a nice bottle of Champagne to go with the meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the restaurant Antico Martini in Venice, Italy, they include the scallop coral-or roe-in the dish and use fresh porcini when in season.

Although it may sound heavy, this dressing has a light, silky texture that keeps it from weighing down the delicate lettuce. The salad needs to be eaten immediately, before the dressing cools. Serve it as a first course or a side dish—it would go especially well with grilled steak.

This entrée from Chateau Lake Louise at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, would be perfect for a dinner party. The fish is especially good accompanied by broiled red onion slices and steamed asparagus. To make this even easier, have the salmon skinned and boned at the fish market.

Here's a delicious new take on smoked salmon.

This lovely summer soup has a rich, smooth texture even though it contains no cream. For a picnic, bring the cold soup in a thermos and the chives in a plastic bag, and then serve in sturdy ceramic bowls.

Garnish each plate with pickles, cherry tomatoes and radishes. Start with a steaming mug of potato soup, and end with wedges of apple cake.

This delicious salad is from Johannes.

Though the truffles lend a wonderfully rich flavor to the shrimp, they are fairly costly, so you might want to save this dish for special occasions.