Nut

These are made with an Italian sourdough starter known as a biga, which has to be prepared one day ahead. Note that before baking the breadsticks, you can give them amusing shapes by forming one end of each dough rope into a squiggle, a loop, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min The tangy citrus and nutty flavors of the dressing make this asparagus a nice complement to the spiced chicken breast or to simply prepared fish.

Delicious on crackers or as a filling for small tea sandwiches.

This comforting side dish is a love letter to the sweet tooth in all of us: Unpeeled sweet potatoes and bananas are roasted together, then peeled, pureed, and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Katie occasionally substitutes a couple of Fuyu persimmons for the mango. The pecans are nice on their own as a snack.

In addition to being great with milk at breakfast time, this is nice sprinkled over yogurt, fruit or ice cream, or baked into your favorite granola cookies or bars.

The dough for these simple cookies can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to two days before being sliced and baked.

Using canned yams in this old-fashioned pie makes it especially easy to prepare.

These cookies are like bite-size Linzertortes. Instead of being cut into triangles as suggested below, the dough can be cut into whatever other shape is preferred.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Riesling gives the dressing a delicate flavor. Crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts are sharp-crunchy contrasts with appeal.

Spiced cranberries top chilled orange slices for a sweet-tangy contrast in this colorful salad.

This inventive salad is a terrific addition to any summer buffet. For this party, also prepare red cabbage coleslaw, or buy some at the market or a take-out spot.