Yogurt

Though not quite as tender, lamb shoulder chops have deeper flavor than rib chops and won't break the bank.

Keep the final course sweet and simple.

Olive oil in a dessert might seem a little odd, but try to think of it as a flavorful ingredient rather than a fat...as long as you choose a delicious extra-virgin oil. I first had something like this in Jabugo, Spain, when I ate slices of orange simply drizzled with a grassy local oil as a dessert. It was a revelation. If you want to go dairy-free in this dessert, then skip the yogurt and mix the mint in with the grapes.

We weren't sure what would result from pouring an egg-and-yogurt mixture over a gratin of potatoes. The answer? A thin layer of tangy custard that just melts into the gratin. Like a much more sumptuous version of the sour-cream-topped baked potato, this dish is a welcome change of pace.

With these distinctly Middle Eastern kebabs, the minty coolness of the yogurt sauce offsets the allspice, pepper, and cinnamon in some of the most succulent and juicy meatballs you have ever tasted.

Lime juice and curry powder enliven this simple yogurt dipping sauce. It's so quick and easy that you can make it while the pancakes are cooking. For best results, use full-fat yogurt. In a pinch, low-fat will do, but do not use nonfat.

Amaretti cookie crumbs, sprinkled between layers of phyllo, give lots of satisfying flavor and texture this this apple-cranberry pastry.

Pulissery This is the ultimate Keralan rice dish — sour, spicy, and with a strong coconut accent. For more information on grated coconut, coconut oil, and coconut milk. The Indian ingredients can be found at Indian markets and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

This calorie bargain, the second winner from Red Mountain, owes its flavor to chef Luethje's mix of Thai chile paste, fresh ginger, and raita, an Indian yogurt salad. The shrimp supplies lean protein, the yogurt calcium.

Improv: Add or substitute corn on the cob, eggplant slices, or portobellos.

Though you could certainly use regular red cherries in this recipe, we prefer yellow cherries such as Royal Ann or Rainier, available in supermarkets, for their lovely yellow color, as well as their bright flavor and mild sweetness. We use Greek yogurt because it has a much thicker texture than other yogurts and holds its shape nicely.

You can find the Neufchâtel cheese called for here next to the cream cheese at your supermarket. Don't be alarmed by the holes in your coeur à la crème molds — they allow liquid to drain out of the bottom so the hearts will be firm enough to hold their shape.

This creamy chilled soup will make you hope for an abundance of zucchini in your garden this year. Thin-sliced zucchini blossoms, available at produce markets and specialty foods shops, add a beautiful hint of color while lending texture to the soup's smoothness.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course after you set aside one third of the fish (see cooks' note, below) to make the capellini with salmon and lemon-dill-vodka sauce. Otherwise, it serves 6.