Voluptuous Gorgonzola custards, called sformati, share a plate with thin slices of pears and watercress tossed in a vinaigrette. The custards can be baked ahead, so entertaining is easy.

Baked seafood imperial, a riff on crab imperial, is shellfish tossed with cream and seasonings, breaded, and baked. Seafood imperial can be small or big.

Soufflés are gorgeous and entertaining, not to mention delicious. Stiffly beaten egg whites raise this Parmesan and Gruyère cheese soufflé to new heights.

As fresh tasting as it is colorful, this Japanese inspired tuna tartare appetizer is best with cucumber, red onions, and chiles from the farmer’s market.

Easy to make with pre-baked pizza crust, this smoked salmon and red onion pizza is a nod to the blini and equally tasty with a glass of champagne.

This dish, called Trutas a Moda de Braganca, consists of trout wrapped in a deep red jacket of smoked Portuguese ham and fried in bacon drippings.

Sweet caramelized onions and Greek feta cheese make this tart an ideal companion with a salad. It’s especially easy with store-bought puff pastry.

Broa, or Portuguese cornbread, has a distinctive whitish crust, which cracks to reveal a golden-brown crumb. This is a toothsome, hearty bread.

A Spanish savory pie, Pastela Moruna is related to Moroccan bastila though not as sweet or rich. Rotisserie chicken and puff pastry make this a quick meal.

Serve this red onion and rosemary pizza as an appetizer or in a buffet. Your guests will appreciate the easy to make homemade Italian pizza dough.

by Ted Allen
from The Food You Want to Eat
(Clarkson Potter, 2005)
Serves 4
This is a real favorite in my house. I’ve adapted it from a recipe in one of my favorite collections, The New Basics Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, my copy of which has a broken spine and is so stained it’s hard [...]

Toasted walnuts, seasoned butter, and crème fraîche or cream accompany snails in this rich, comforting French recipe from the southwest of France.

Big chunks of dungeness crab, celery, and jalapeno peppers stud these crab cakes. A homemade tartar sauce and asparagus and lemon dressings add color and zing.

A Portuguese staple from the island of Madeira, swordfish marinated is a spiky oil of pepper, garlic, and oregano, are threaded on skewers and then grilled.

An intimate appetizer, this seared tuna is coated with blackening spices, and dressed with an Asian influenced soy-mustard sauce and beurre blanc.

An onion and blue cheese tart that all your guests will love. Try to stay true to the ingredients, but if you can’t find Bleu de Gex, substitute Stilton.

Tapas bars feature wonderful combinations of ingredients and these mushrooms in garlic and sherry sauce make a great appetizer. Serve with crusty bread.

For these tandoori chicken roll-ups, chicken is marinated in a yogurt-spice mixture, which lends flavor as well as tenderizes. The roll-ups are great for lunching with the kids.

Creamy goat cheese, leeks, and Swiss chard come together in this flaky tart. Plumped raisins and pine nuts are sweetness and crunch. A perfect brunch dish.

Named for the owner’s daughter, this recipe mixes Crabmeat with artichokes and Meunière butter. Use crawfish for a truly unique New Orleans experience.

For authentic Thai flavor these wings are marinated overnight in galangal (similar to ginger) and chiles and accompanied by a peanut dipping sauce.

Diver scallops are sauteed until perfectly golden then are placed on a bed of savory porcini mushrooms and scattered with salad greens.

Classic Buffalo wings that are hot like you expect, but crispier because of a double coating of flour. The dipping sauce? Blue cheese, of course.

These spicy pork meatballs doused with guacamole to temper the heat are a great first course to share with friends. For a main course serve like a burger.

Fresh tuna is poached in olive oil, combined with dry-cured olives, capers, and onions, and mixed into an anchovy flavored mayonnaise dressing.