Raw

Eremo della Giubiliana is a magical hotel near Ragusa in southeastern Sicily. Housed in a converted fifteenth-century convent and with just nine guest rooms, it manages to combine serene simplicity with modern day pampering. The high-beamed, airy restaurant underscores the feeling and complements the chef's fresh new takes on traditional foods. Each dish of the five-course meal is simple, authentic, and utterly delicious. This orange salad is a wonderful example: Made with the local blood oranges and olive oil, its flavors are both pure and distinctive. Blood oranges make for an impressive and classic presentation, but navel oranges work just as well.

This uncooked soup isn't for the timid — raw garlic, ginger, and shallot impart strong flavors. Unless you can get freshly made vegetable juice from your local juice bar, you will need an electric juicer to make the tomato or carrot juice. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

I've always loved coleslaws, using them as side dishes for everything from oyster rolls to whole grilled fish. Far from the chopped green cabbage with flecks of carrot from our school cafeteria days, the slaw can be quite elegant.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

A dash of curry powder transforms this cool fruit soup into a sweetly savory first course.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Korean-Style Tuna Tartare .

Paired with tortilla chips, this guacamole makes an excellent starter. Also offer chilled Mexican beer throughout the meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In addition to dressing greens, this is especially good drizzled over sliced avocado. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe accompanies Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Tomato Salsa