Peanut Butter

These chicken wings, inspired by a Macanese recipe, bring together flavors of Portugal, China, and Africa, which were connected through the trade routes and colonization of Macau.

Christine Warren of New York, New York, writes: "On a recent evening out on the town, my friends and I decided to go for Margaritas at Zarela. What started out as drinks soon turned into appetizers and then dessert (a well-balanced meal, in our view). We loved the divine peanut butter tart."

"When my ancestors left Spain and settled on the Greek island of Rhodes five hundred years ago, they brought with them their Sephardic culture," writes Rebecca Levy. "Likewise, when I fled Greece during World War II and eventually relocated to Los Angeles, I brought with me the traditions of my home. A lot of these traditions have to do with food, and since sharing my heritage has always been important to me, I often make favorites from my homeland for friends and family." These dainty cookies have a sandy texture.

The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving.

For presentation, fill decorative tins and canisters with this delightful confection.

The peanut butter in this dough creates a crumbly cookie.

This chilled noodle salad from Zygot Bookworks & Cafe is loaded with crisp vegetables.

Offer nuts, candy sprinkles and any other sundae toppings.

"My parents and I recently celebrated my mom's birthday at a local restaurant called The Farmhouse," writes Karen Eschenbach of Emmaus, Pennsylvania. "We ended a wonderful meal with an even better dessert—chocolate-peanut butter 'beggars' purses.'" Each elegant phyllo "purse" contains a flourless brownie topped with peanut butter and chocolate ganache.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.