British

Fool is a classic English dessert made by combining fruit puree with whipped cream. Here it is spooned into small crisp tartlet shells and garnished with a strawberry. Any leftover fool would make a nice treat with afternoon tea.

This dessert, long favored by the British at holiday time, originally contained minced meat along with the fruits and spices. This version, more suited to the nineties table, is meatless and brimming with apples, dried fruit and lots of spices.

Dundee has been synonymous with marmalade for hundreds of years. The story goes that around 1700, an enterprising Dundee housewife crafted marmalade as we know it from a boatload of bitter Seville oranges purchased by her husband from a Spanish ship stranded in the harbor. In this recipe, marmalade is gently heated with orange juice and whisky until it liquefies, then the sauce is poured over the cake.

Lindsay McDougal of Corona, California, writes: "When my husband and I first moved to Southern California from a small town between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we were amazed by the variety of foods available. It's almost unfair to compare the two places, since there are so many different ethnic cuisines here. We've come to love Mexican and Italian cooking, but we still find ourselves yearning for the traditional Scottish recipes we grew up with, like Scotch eggs and meat and potato pies. They're hearty dishes and so easy to make. " A variation of the popular Scottish snack Forfar bridies, these meat-filled turnovers are similar to Cornish pasties. They make a great lunch, but also can be cut into wedges and served as an appetizer.

Lindsay McDougal of Corona, California, writes: "When my husband and I first moved to Southern California from a small town between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we were amazed by the variety of foods available. It's almost unfair to compare the two places, since there are so many different ethnic cuisines here. We've come to love Mexican and Italian cooking, but we still find ourselves yearning for the traditional Scottish recipes we grew up with, like Scotch eggs and meat and potato pies. They're hearty dishes and so easy to make." Hard-boiled eggs are coated in sausage and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried. They're classic fare at pubs and often are served with mustard or ketchup.

Scottish pancakes are small and typically served not at breakfast but at teatime.

For this recipe you will need three mini-muffin pans, each containing twelve 1 3/4-by-1 inch cups.

Here's a nice way to serve up fresh summer fruit to family and friends.

In England, plum pudding was required at Christmas in the nineteenth century, and it still is today. This luscious cake takes its cues from that beloved dessert. It combines the flavors of a plum pudding in a chocolate cake and iced it with fudge frosting.

Shortbread is the ultimate sugar cookie, crisp yet tender, and bursting with buttery flavor. It's a good cookie to make when the cookie monster in you growls but you don't have any eggs in the house. Gluten-free rice flour (cornstarch can be substituted) is used with regular flour to give it a delicate crumb.

Syllabub—a thick, frothy dessert made of wine, sugar and cream—originated in old England. This raspberry-topped version is served at Christiana Campbell's Tavern. Begin preparing it a day before serving.

Anne Macrae is a Scottish neighbor in Provence who shares my love of simple, big tastes. She served this luscious gratin one spring evening and explained that she devised the recipe when she and her husband, John, lived in an isolated part of northern Provence, in the Drôme. There were no fresh-produce markets nearby, but thanks to neighboring farmers she always had plenty of fresh goat's milk cheese—known as tomme. Her larder was always filled with the meaty black olives from nearby Nyons, and wild herbs were as near as the back door. In summer months Anne prepares the sizzling, fragrant first course with fresh tomatoes, and in the winter months she uses canned tomatoes. That evening she served the gratin in the individual gratin dishes, but I suggested it might be easier to make one huge gratin and pass it around. "I used to do that," she countered, "but people got greedy and never left enough for the other guests!" So controlled portions it is! This dish lends itself to endless variations: Think of it simply as a pizza without the crust. Add julienned bits of proscuitto, a bit of cooked sausage, sautéed mushrooms, or marinated artichokes. It's also a convenient dish when you're alone and want something warm and quick. I always add fresh hyssop, for the Provençal herb's pungent, mintlike flavor blends well with the tomato-cheese-olive trinity.

They're delicious served warm with butter, preserves or honey.

Make two trifles to serve 30 guests, or make one and round out the dessert table with fruitcake and goodies from the bakery.

This Welsh dish is also called "rabbit." The name rabbit may be traceable to the fact that the Welsh, who live in prime dairy land, were as fond of melted cheese as they were of rabbit. "Rarebit" may have been a later gentrification of the word, or a reference to the texture of this rare (soft) dish. Either way, it is excellent served in bite-size pieces for a party.

Kedgeree, an Indian-influenced British dish, dates back to the 1800s and is traditionally made with smoked whitefish. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.