Scallion

"When I was a kid, corn was often served with the turkey dinner in our house," says Jim Fobel, cookbook author. "Even though corn season was over, my mom thought that it seemed appropriate for the meal. Here, I've used corn to make little pancakes. The good news is that they can be made a day ahead and then rewarmed in the oven just before serving."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The rich flavor of sautéed onions gives the salad dressing high-fat taste.

This was inspired by a similar dish served at the now defunct China Moon restaurant in San Francisco. Serve the salsa with a bowl of Parmesan Pita Crisps.

This recipe is needed to prepare Minted Lamb and Sugar Snap Pea Salad .

This is a coleslaw-style salad — its sweet, spicy, and crunchy elements make it a terrific accompaniment to anything fried. Sichuan peppercorns, sometimes called fagara, can be found at many Asian markets (though they're technically banned from import because they come from a plant that is susceptible to citrus canker, a disease that devastates citrus orchards). There's no substitute for their flavor, but if you can't find them, the recipe works perfectly well without them.

Try packaged Asian rice mix (or steamed white rice), and tomato and cucumber salad sprinkled with seasoned rice vinegar. To end, spoon sliced fruits over mango sorbet. Look for the horseradish paste in the Asian foods section or next to the packaged sushi.

Cook and refrigerate the rice ahead of time. This meal needs only a bottle of Chardonnay.

For a more colorful presentation of this down-home dip, we reserved some bacon, bell pepper, scallions, and basil for garnish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Short of time? Then skip the broiling, and serve the crostini cold.

In Chinese culture, noodles symbolize longevity and are often served at New Year celebrations and traditionally left very long.

Here's another terrific creation from Hotel Hana-Maui in Maui, Hawaii.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Purchased tabbouleh spooned onto whole romaine lettuce leaves is ideal with these Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches. Follow with baklava and fresh grapes.