For Two

This simple side dish pairs your favorite greens with tahini, lemon juice and garlic.

These parfaits make breakfast exciting again! But they're not just for early in the day. Layer into fun glasses and enjoy as a snack or dessert. For brunch make small ones in pretty little cups.

This open-face sandwich makes for a bright, filling breakfast. For a tropical twist, skip the strawberries and walnuts and top with bananas and shredded coconut instead.

You can grill, saute, or broil these shrimp, which are still in their shells. In winter, the broiler takes only a few minutes. If you have a nice-looking cast-iron skillet, set it right on the table. Peel the shrimp at the table, which is messy but fun.

For vegetarians, bake hollowed out eggplant halves filled with zucchini, tomatoes, and feta, and topped with bread crumbs and Parmesan. For a hearty second-day dish, mix leftover eggplant with pasta, ricotta, and feta.

This gratin of sliced potatoes baked with cream and milk is a French classic. Some versions contain grated cheese, but this one does not. You can also blanch the potatoes first, which we skip here. Slice the potatoes very thinly, either on a hand-held slicing gadget or fancy mandoline. Food-processor feed tubes are so narrow that potatoes must be halved or quartered lengthwise first, which will taste fine in the finished gratin, but it won’t look as elegant in the dish. Layer the potatoes with milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Not much to it.

Toasted baguette slices topped with purchased pesto or caponata make a quick starter; a salad of mixed greens and sliced red onions is perfect alongside the pasta. Offer lemon mousse for a refreshing finale.

Start with pear slices wrapped in prosciutto; offer a radicchio and fennel salad and breadsticks alongside the pasta, and rich tiramisè to end the meal.