Spring

These individual lasagnas are perfect for a dinner party.

Sugar snap peas and pea tendrils (the young leaves and shoots of the snow pea plant) give this dish a double hit of spring flavor.

Bagna cauda is a warm, garlicky dip traditionally served with raw vegetables. It hails from northwestern Italy's Piedmont region. In this version, the sauce is served with cooked artichokes. And don’t be scared off by the three heads of garlic called for in this recipe. Simmering the garlic mellows its flavor significantly.

Rhubarb adds a touch of tangy sweetness to simmered red cabbage. If you like, seared chicken breast can be used in place of the roasted salmon.

Crème fraîche or sour cream gives the scrambled eggs a rich, creamy texture. Toasted breadcrumbs and a grating of cheese are delicious finishing touches.

Small, tender baby artichokes are easier to prepare than their larger counterparts. The lightness of the artichokes is delicious with the rich pork.

In this pretty soup, sweet fresh peas are enhanced with a bit of mint.

At the center of the spiky leaves of the artichoke is the heart, the most tender, flavorful part of the vegetable. It takes a little work to get to the heart, but the extra effort is well worth it.

Thinly shaving the asparagus gives the familiar vegetable a new look—and a delicate taste. Because the asparagus is shaved so thinly, there is no need to cook it.

Baking this free-form tart on a rimmed baking sheet helps contain any juices that might overflow.

You'll get about five cups of preserves from this recipe. Try leftovers alongside soft cheeses or over vanilla ice cream. Fresh ricotta is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter? These eggs are like an upscale version of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. You can actually make them in any mold you like, but I generally make them egg-shaped. To do it my way, you will need plastic or polycarbonate egg molds (see tips, below) to make perfectly shaped ovals. They are avilable in various sizes at most candy- and cake-supply stores. Make sure that they are very clean and dry before using, or the chocolate will stick. Note that you are not making whole egg shapes, but rather an open half that will be filled with the peanut butter mixture.

With a crisp outer shell of chocolate and a gooey marshmallow interior, these eggs are an Easter-basket favorite. If we have any left after Easter, I like to pop one of them on top of a mug of hot chocolate for a special treat. You can either decorate the eggs with chocolate, or you can simply dip the entire egg in tempered chocolate. If dipping, you will need to temper about 1 pound of chocolate to cover all the eggs. Then, working with 1 egg at a time, place it on a dipping fork, dip the entire egg in the chocolate, and then lift it out, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. I prefer bittersweet, but milk or white chocolate will also work. You will need plastic or polycarbonate egg molds with each side forming half an egg that, when filled, clip together to make perfectly shaped eggs. They are available at most candy- and cake-supply stores.

To create a successful molded figure, you must use tempered chocolate to ensure a smooth, snappy finish. Making the mold is rather like working with plaster except that chocolate is far messier! Antique metal molds are absolutely beautiful but not terribly effective, as the hardened chocolate will stick to the metal mold and crumble as you try to remove it. The best types of molds are plastic or polycarbonate. As they are the most reliable, I work with modern plastic molds and I strongly recommend that you do also. Just remember that the temperature of your kitchen will affect the speed at which the chocolate sets. Plastic molds usually come in two equal parts, which must be united before filling with chocolate. I suggest that you clip the two parts together using small steel binder clips (available from all office supply stores). You can tape the parts together with heatproof tape, but the clips are much more efficient. If this is your first attempt at making a molded figure, I suggest that you make a simple chocolate bunny without the painted trim.

The Original: Eggs baked (or poached) in a spicy tomato sauce. Our Version: A heartier (and healthier) meal, thanks to the addition of artichoke hearts and potatoes.

Use leftover ham or good-quality ham from the deli counter in this dish.