Phyllo Dough

Be sure to order an uncut wheel of Brie ahead of time from a cheese shop or specialty foods store. The entire wheel is baked with a flavorful chutney; any leftover chutney is great with curries or roasts.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Diane Kochilas's book Meze: Small Plates to Savor and Share from the Mediterranean Table. Kochilas also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Kochilas and Greek cuisine, click here. Onions, cheese, and yogurt pies abound in the north of Greece, especially in shepherds' communities where dairy products are daily staples. This recipe is culled from that tradition, but instead of preparing a whole sheet pan with homemade phyllo, I have reworked it to make it accessible and more in tune with the meze style of eating.

In this easy version of the classic napoleon, crisp phyllo pastry squares are layered with lemon cream and raspberries. Jars of ready-made lemon curd are available in the preserves section of most supermarkets.

In this recipe we call for a 10 1/2- by 7 1/2- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan. The tart could also be made using a baking sheet or a jelly-roll pan, as the filling is dense enough to hold its shape on its own.

Phyllo dough gives this dessert a crisp texture that contrasts nicely with the smooth lemon filling.

These delicious strudels can be put together one day before baking.

You can make the soufflés 4 hours ahead (keep at room temperature). Put in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes to reheat. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Brian Preinfalk of Show Low, Arizona, says there’s nothing he’d rather eat on a cold winter day than one of the beef pot pies at Creasey’s Restaurant in the nearby ski resort town of Pinetop.

An appealing dish from Matt's in the Market in Seattle, Washington.

The fragrant secret to this recipe from Delfina Studio Café is the rose water.