Rita Sodi and Jody Williams

You can make this truffle mixture will end up on the table in whatever vessel you chilled it in, which could be a pie plate or a decorative platter—it’s your house!

Pre-dinner snacks serve two purposes: They should be salty enough to encourage cocktail drinking but have enough heft to temper the alcohol’s effects. These deliver on both fronts.

The texture of this airy semifreddo is somewhere between frozen chocolate mousse and gelato. In other words: You’re going to love it.

Straining the ricotta will tighten the filling, making it easier to roll. Let it hang out in a sieve while you’re measuring everything else out.

Hot tip: Super-fresh eggs are going to be harder to peel than the ones you’ll find at the grocery store.

There’s no creamy dip to hide behind here: Use the nicest spring vegetables and olive oil you can find.

The classic Pecorino and black pepper combination is delicious on way more than pasta. Try it on veg and rice, too.

Pick artichokes with tightly packed, squeaky-firm green leaves and a fresh-looking cut on the stem end.

If you pour the bubbly too quickly, the drink will foam up and over the edge of the glass.

Substitute whole almonds for the hazelnuts in these brown-buttery cakes, or use a combination of both.

Despite being a timeless classic, it’s probably been a while since you made this dish. Entertaining bonus: It gets better as it sits, which means you’ll be rewarded for making it ahead of time.

The dough for these airy desserts is also the foundation for éclairs, cream puffs, and pâte à choux. Minus the ice cream and berries, they make a sweet little breakfast pastry.

Grilled ham and cheese: nothing to scoff at. Baked ham and cheese with velvety béchamel oozing out all over the place: mind-altering.

Using your food processor’s shredding blade makes this simple bistro salad a very doable weeknight option.

If ever there was a dish to make vegetables and eggs look (and taste) decadent, this is it. Cooking the spring produce in olive oil delivers deep, luxurious flavor. You’ll want some toast.