24 lace recipes

Saffron-laced pastina salad with pine nuts, currants, fresh mint, and orange blossom water. A fragrant Middle Eastern-inspired room temperature pasta side dish with turmeric and cumin.

French lace cookies bake corn syrup, shortening, brown sugar, flour, and pecans into thin, delicate, caramel-toffee disks. Optional chocolate drizzle. Five ingredients, holiday tray classic.

Chocolate lace cornucopias: delicate chocolate-nut cookies rolled warm into crisp cones and filled with whipped cream. A stunning, bakery-style dessert cookie.

Old-fashioned lace cookies with pecans, brown sugar, and corn syrup, rolled into delicate cylinders while still warm. Shatteringly crisp and caramel-sweet.

Open faced Reuben sandwiches baked with sauerkraut, corned beef, and melted Swiss cheese on dark rye toast. A quick appetizer or party snack ready in just 15 minutes.

Quick and easy sandwich made with ripe tomato, fresh basil leaves and mozzarella cheese.

Grilled marinated portobello is tender, juicy and flavorful. Place it on the sandwich bread, and a delicious meatless sandwich. Toss some fresh mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and radishes with a light vinaigrette, serve it beside the sandwich, here you have a hearty and tasty meal.

A retro Southern appetizer of boiled shrimp suspended in seasoned consommé aspic with lemon, green onion, and a kick of hot sauce. Unmold onto crackers for a showstopping starter.

Clown face pancake breakfast with poached or fried eggs for eyes, orange slices for ears and mouth, and cherry tomato halves for noses. Fun kids' breakfast plate.

Daube glace: the classic New Orleans cold beef aspic from Louisiana Creole tradition. Shredded pot roast suspended in jellied savory consomme with celery, lemon, and Tabasco. A summer Creole appetizer.

Vegetarian shao mai dumplings with hand-rolled hot-water dough and two filling options: mashed tofu or minced water chestnut and mushroom. Bamboo steamer classic, freezer-friendly.

Open-faced crab sandwiches on English muffins with cream cheese softened in ginger ale, topped with tomato and melted cheddar. A retro hot seafood lunch ready in 30 minutes.

Boiled shrimp marinated overnight in a fiery herb oil with hot sauce, Old Bay, garlic, basil, oregano, and thyme. A bold, zesty appetizer that feeds a crowd. Makes 25.

Classic chilled vichyssoise made with leeks, potatoes, and cream, puréed until velvety smooth and garnished with fresh chives. The quintessential cold summer soup.

Classic New Orleans daube glace: shredded roast beef and stuffed olives suspended in a spicy beef gelatin mold. Old-school Creole elegance, served cold.

Halloween face paint mixes cornstarch, water, cream, and food coloring into a homemade non-toxic costume paint. Skin-safe, kid-friendly, and ready in seconds for trick-or-treat night.