Goat Cheese

Marinate the cheese for a couple of hours, then assemble the salad just before serving.

If you have a set of clay tiles or a baking stone, place it on the oven rack while preheating the oven. It will absorb the heat, and putting a pizza pan or baking sheet directly on top will ensure a crisp crust.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

The mixture known as duxelles (diced mushrooms cooked with shallots or onions) probably dates back to the seventeenth century. It is said that the famous chef La Varenne, who worked for the Marquis d'Uxelles, created this recipe to preserve mushrooms. Serve this tart with baby greens for a light lunch, or enjoy it as a starter with a white Burgundy.

It doesn’t look or taste like it, but this pizza is low-fat. Each slice has just 346 calories and 4 1/2 grams of fat.

This do-ahead brunch dish makes excellent use of leftover bread. Add a layer of salsa and Monterey Jack cheese for a Southwest flair; or replace the sausage and sun-dried tomatoes with some sautéed onions and Gruyère cheese for a French twist.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Goat cheese and mint make for a special springtime version of bruschetta. Serve these on a platter as an appetizer, or offer them alongside the Radicchio Salad .

Offer this spirited dip with green beans, baby corn, radishes and French bread.

Delicious served with bread or crackers, these cheeses are also a wonderful addition to pizzas, pastas and salads.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Marinated peppers, mushrooms and eggplant make nice accompaniments to these Mediterranean-style pizzas. Finish up with almond cookies and mixed berries.

Allow about 5 1/2 hours for the pizza dough to rise. The small quantity of yeast and a long, slow rise give the crust its great flavor and texture.

Gay Koenemann of Bonn, Germany, had dinner at 300 East Boulevard on a recent trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. There he was treated to the most exquisite salad he'd ever had. Although the restaurant calls it Fall Salad on the menu, it's enjoyable year-round. Dried cranberries would make a good alternative to the dried cherries.