Cheese

Terrific with roast chicken, lamb or steak.

Like savory shortbread, these are wonderful when paired with wine, salads or soups.

This strata is ideal for Christmas morning — it is assembled a day ahead and baked just before serving. Mimosas are a nice addition to the menu.

This recipe is from Winnie Spazano, my second mom/housekeeper, who by day ran an elementary school cafeteria and by night cooked "something special" for my brothers and me. The following is a standout. As it was placed in front of my nine-year-old face, I thought, "I can't each something this large!" To this day, I don't understand the name.

Flat omelets known as frittatas are popular throughout mainland Italy. In Apulia, this version is made to celebrate the harvest of spring onions.

This recipe was developed by Houston pastry chef Carrie Hart with the assistance of Girl Scout Amanda Marlow.

An appealing dish from Matt's in the Market in Seattle, Washington.

Except for the Parmesan cheese, which is pretty much a requirement, this ultra-cheesy cousin of fettuccine Alfredo can be made with any number of four-cheese combinations.

Sour cream can be substituted for the mascarpone, but the polenta won't be as rich.

Cracker-like pancakes are a nice snack.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These deep-fried dessert pastries, which are sweetened with honey, are known as sebadas.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

These are called arancini (little oranges).

Most of the work on this dish is done the day before, leaving plenty of time in the morning for opening presents or simply sleeping in.

Kids love this version of pigs in blankets.

Make these individual desserts a day ahead.

"My profession as a real estate agent requires a lot of my time," writes Edi Meadows Morrissette of Westin, Florida, "so it helps that I am lightning-fast in the kitchen. I cook every day, and on the weekends I sometimes make three meals a day. I accomplish that by following my main cooking principles: (1) do a lot of prep work, and (2) keep the kitchen well stocked. For example, at holiday time I might chop onions in advance or bake bread the day before company arrives. And since I converted the bedroom next to my kitchen into a pantry for extra storage, I know I'll always have the right ingredients at my fingertips." Nice with drinks, soup, or salad. The cheese spread can be made a day ahead.