No-Cook

Joy Ackerman of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "After cooking for a family of six for years, I've become a pro at streamlining recipes and being organized in the kitchen. My children are now grown and out of the house, but that hasn't changed how I cook or shop. I still make a monthly menu plan, and often find myself cooking my kids' favorite dishes whenever they visit."

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Icebox Desserts by Lauren Chattman. Strategically placed wafer cookies look like large polka dots when this cake is unmolded. Then, when you slice it, you see the stripes. Make sure the cake is fully frozen before slicing for the cleanest look.

The most floral and flirty cocktail we've had this year.

A classic served at Musso & Frank. Think of it as a Bloody Mary minus tomato juice.

This little-known classic cocktail is a leaner, crisper spin on the Negroni.

This "salsa" is actually a sort of fruit salad, but it does contain the quintessential salsa ingredients, lime juice and jalapeño peppers. The jalapeños are certainly unexpected, but they have an interesting way of intensifying the sweetness of the pineapple.

A salsa this simple lives or dies by the quality of the ingredients—ripe avocado, luscious tomato, and a sweet, crunchy ear of corn. Most of my corn salsa recipes call for grilled corn. This one features the succulent crunch of raw corn to reinforce the sweetness of the fresh avocado.

Cachaça, a spirit made from sugarcane, gives these drinks their distinctive flavor. In Brazil it is traditional to make caipirinhas one or two at a time, as we do here. For ease of entertaining, however, you can simply combine all the ingredients in a pitcher.

This fabulous sorbet is a twist on the classic prune Armagnac ice cream. The prunes can macerate in the Armagnac indefinitely if kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Semifreddo al Torrone e Cioccolato The frozen dessert that Italians make at home is usually a semifreddo, which translates literally as half-cold. It comes by its name because a semifreddo always contains some ingredient such as biscuits, candied fruits, nuts, or ricotta that does not freeze solid and hence does not require the freezing power of an ice cream machine. All it needs is an overnight stay in the freezer. The key ingredient in this semifreddo is torrone, the hard Piedmontese nougat bar made from egg whites and almonds that in northern Italy is an inseparable part of any well-stuffed Christmas basket.

Insalata di Sedano, Avocado, e Peperone con Olive Nere I find the flavors and texture of this salad to be particularly agreeable immediately following a seafood course.

When selecting the Champagne for this cocktail, we wanted something moderately dry but with a hint of sweetness. Demi-sec (a French term meaning "half dry") Champagnes and sparkling wines provide the perfect balance.

Shari Ledwidge of Greenehaven, Arizona, writes: "My husband and I spend several weeks each year traveling around the United States. Our journeys always take us to wonderful food stands and farmers' markets, which have inspired some of my favorite recipes."

Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here. I like to serve these at afternoon get-togethers in the summer. If I could subsist on them eggclusively, I just might!

Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here. What family reunion would be complete without potato salad? This is my mother's recipe. It's delicious — tasty and tangy, just as potato salad should be.

Combining sweet, sour, salty, and bitter ingredients with a tangy vinaigrette,this salad almost explodes with flavor.

This tangy dressing really livens up a plate of crisp salad greens. It's also great on a baked potato or as a dip.