Pea

Israeli couscous, sometimes known as pearl pasta, is available at Middle Eastern markets. You could also order it from Joan's on Third in Los Angeles; 323-655-2285.

Serve with: Crusty baguette slices and a salad of arugula dressed with Sherry vinaigrette. Dessert: Vanilla ice cream topped with warm caramel sauce.

Chef Louis Diat created this famous cold soup (without the peas, which are a nice addition) during his tenure at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York. Diat named the soup after Vichy, the resort town near his boyhood home in France. Hot potato-leek soup had been popular with French chefs for centuries, but Diat-inspired by his own childhood habit of adding milk to hot soup to cool it of-served his version cold. Exactly when vichyssoise first appeared on the hotel menu is unclear, but British food writer Elizabeth David claimed that it debuted in 1917.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This sauce, allegedly from Hong Kong, is called XO to equate its extravagance with that of "extra old" fine brandy (though there is none in the recipe). Many versions of this sauce exist, but they all include dried scallops (sometimes called conpoy), an ingredient highly prized in Chinese cooking for its flavor and texture, and costly Chinese Yunnan ham, which is unavailable in the U.S.

Try this as part of a barbecue buffet.

Accompany this light main course with Buttery Rice Timbales.

Chicken broth is combined with oil to stir-fry the vegetables.

Serve this newfangled main-course salad with a crisp flatbread, such as lavash, and white wine or rosé spritzers.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Look for rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of your market.

Risotto de Bulgour aux Pois et Asperges At the restaurant, this is made with spelt, a chewy grain that requires much longer cooking than does the more readily available bulgur called for here.

This dish is equally delicious prepared with turkey, seafood, beef, or pork.

The sweet potato and coconut milk balance the spiciness of this dish. Serve it over white rice, and dinner is ready.