Yogurt

Hedy's favorite cucumber salad and one she prepares often, it's particularly good with poached salmon, trout, pike, cod, almost any fish. Hedy says that cucumber salad is often paired with sausages and potato salad. "That's quite traditional."

Think of that old-fashioned dish of grapes baked in sour cream and brown sugar. Now imagine it as something light and elegant, and you'll understand this dish.

**Editor's note:**This recipe is reprinted from Rose Hammick's and Charlotte Packer's book Great Parties for Kids. For Hammick's and Packer's tips on throwing a kids' summer party, click here. Make the fruit kabobs a day in advance and keep them in the fridge. The sauces can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for 2 days.

**Editor's note:**This recipe is reprinted from Rose Hammick's and Charlotte Packer's book Great Parties for Kids. For Hammick's and Packer's tips on throwing a kids' summer party, click here. Kids love Popsicles, and when made from fruit and yogurt, they are healthy as well as delicious. Popsicle molds are available from kitchen or department stores. If you're short of time, you can also make popsicles from ready-made smoothies.

Carote Al Rafano The handmade bowls crafted by Italian ceramic artist Siglinda Scarpa are the perfect vessel for these vibrant carrots mixed with tangy yogurt, smooth cream, and snappy horseradish.

This Baja treat is well known to residents of Southern California, where fish tacos have been popular since their introduction in the 1980s. The crunch of coleslaw contrasts with tender fish, and the creamy dressing is spiked with the smoky heat of chipotle chiles.

In this homey recipe, chicken is cooked with a thick creamy sauce. Kishk is traditionally eaten cold, but it's equally delicious warm.

Juicy pork replaces the traditional lamb in these sandwiches. Tomato and capers are a lively addition to the yogurt sauce.

Pitas, or savory pies, are ubiquitous in mountainous Epirus, in no small part because their portability suited itinerant sheepherding families. Even when you are staying put, this one is well worth making. Its homemade phyllo is rolled out much thicker than the commercial kind, making something more akin to a tender piecrust, and it's imbued with rich flavor from yogurt.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Neo Soul _by Lindsey Williams. Exercising is probably the best thing you can do right now to get in better shape. Americans of all races tend to be less active than their grandparents were. The combination of fatty foods with little exercise equals the obesity epidemic we have today in the U.S.A. Fried chicken is such a central component of Southern cooking, but it's too high in fat to be part of a regular diet. Prepare it this way and you'll have all the flavor of fried chicken without all of the extra fat. _

(Chelow) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Najmieh Batmanglij's book A Taste of Persia. Batmanglij also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Batmanglij and Persian cuisine, click here.

(Narial Chutney) Editor's note: These instructions are excerpted from Julie Sahni's book Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. Sahni also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This is the most popular relish of South India. Although its flavor will vary from state to state, it consists essentially of freshly grated coconut and mustard seeds. The mustard seeds are sizzled in hot oil and folded into the coconut. Some Indians flavor the relish with ground roasted yellow split peas (bhona channa dal ka ataa); others with tomato. But the most refreshing and fragrant is the Malayali version from Kerala, which adds chopped fresh coriander. This herb also tints the relish a very appealing pale green color. Coconut relish generally accompanies southern delicacies. Serve it with Foamy White Steamed Rice and Bean Dumplings and with southern or southwestern vegetarian meals that are characteristically flavored with black mustard seeds.

Healthy bonus: 1 serving of fruit per slice, protein and riboflavin from eggs, calcium from yogurt, fiber, and nearly 1/3 of the RDA for vitamin C from berries

Tip: Use plain lowfat yogurt in place of sour cream. Result: less fat, great flavor.

The sweet and tangy apricot sauce that anchors this dessert is a nod to the spoon sweets — fruit preserves that are eaten from small spoons — traditionally served in Greece to arriving guests.

The great thing about the marinade in this recipe is that the thick yogurt helps it stick to the chicken perfectly, so you get its full flavor in the final dish. Regular basting with ghee produces a tender, melt-in-your-mouth result.