Quick & Easy

This recipe is used to prepare Mango Sorbets, Cactus-Pear Sorbets , and Lime Sorbets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For toppings, provide some diced avocado and extra chopped cilantro.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Sirs: You delight us!" writes Helen Gwyer of Norwalk, Connecticut. "Our Salem ancestors would certainly have burned you as bewitchers of our mental and physical being. But will you tell us how to poach an egg? For years I have tried to achieve the smooth, symmetrical perfection that any French kitchen can turn out with ease. "Will we ever again sit at a little table on the sidewalk at Rumpelmayer's in Menton for petit déjeuner — a poached egg, pâté de foie gras in soft finger rolls, and hot chocolate? "So many recipes call for poached eggs, but can you poach one?"

Start with a radicchio and watercress salad tossed with Sherry vinaigrette, and pass crisp semolina rolls with the pasta. Wrap up the meal with chocolate-covered biscotti, assorted grapes, and some good brandy.

You may have had pappadams — light, crisp wafers made of lentil flour — at Indian restaurants. Here we use them as a stand-in for croutons.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Spinach and Endive Salad with Lemon-Ginger Dressing and Crisp Won Ton Strips. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Susan Dlott of Solon, Ohio, writes: "On our last visit to New York City, we spent the day watching the St. Patrick's Day parade, sightseeing, and shopping. We topped off the trip with a marvelous meal at La Dolce Vita. My entrée of pappardelle, pancetta, and mushrooms in a Sherry tomato cream sauce was simply unforgettable. I'd like to duplicate it at home." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 13/4 hr

María A. Alvarado-Gómez of Erie, Pennsylvania, writes: "I came to the United States as an exchange student, after spending the first 18 years of my life in Mérida, Yucatán. On school vacations I would go home and cook with my mother and sisters so that I wouldn't lose my touch. My mother was a skilled cook, and I was lucky to have learned at her side. Her food was so popular in our neighborhood that she sold portions of our daily meals to other families. With nine well-fed kids, she said we were her best advertisement. "I still take great pride in the food of my homeland. Yucatecan cuisine is known for its Mayan influence, and the essential ingredients we use — limes, spices, avocados, tomatoes, peppers — make for wonderful flavors. Now that ground spices are readily available and vegetables can be quickly chopped in a food processor, preparing traditional Mexican dishes is easier than ever." This dish is the Yucatecan version of huevos rancheros.

We like serving these chewy, moist almond cakes, which are based on the financier, a French pastry, in individual gratin dishes, but the batter can also be baked in a 9-inch glass pie plate for 30 to 35 minutes.

This syrup is good to have on hand for making sorbets and certain cocktails. A plus: It keeps for a long time.