This is retro and wonderful, and nothing at all like the flavored gelatin molds with fruit that you ate as a child. A refreshing mix of fruit teas and fresh berries, it is as pretty as can be and delicious as part of a summer buffet. Just the conversation it generates makes it worth trying!

Besides being a great dip and spread,Hummus also makes a tasty stuffed pita sandwich, with the addition of cucumber, red onion, and tomato slices.

The addition of yogurt sets this baba ghanoush apart and makes it Mangia's. As anyone who loves eggplant knows, this is a wonderful dip for wedges of pita or for vegetables. It is also very successful served as an accompaniment to lamb or chicken. We roast the eggplants over the gas burner on the stove top. If you'd rather not do that, you can roast them in the oven. We prefer the charred flavor that only comes when you use the open flame.

Eddie is one of the chefs at Mangia, and one day, out of the blue, he whipped this up. It is sensational as a dip for artichokes or as a sauce for roasted turkey or pork.

Fresh garlic is pungent and sharp. Roasted garlic is just the opposite sweet and mellow in flavor, silky in texture. Because it has a more subtle flavor, it becomes a lot more cooperative as an ingredient. We think it is a must in some of our sauces and salad dressing. We swirl it into soups as a finishing touch. It's even great smeared on bread.

Here is a great addition to a holiday table. Or use it on a more regular basis with roasted chicken or lamb. You can roast the grapes and the shallots at the same time, as long as you watch the individual cooking times; they are different.

Cooked onions, especially red onions, sweeten and caramelize and taste totally different from raw onions. This is great used as a spread on sandwiches or panini or served as a condiment with roasted meats and green salads. Some even like it on pasta.

This is perfectly wonderful with duck, or another poultry. You might also swirl it into a curried soup for an intriguing bit of additional flavor and body. You could also serve it with soft, ripe cheese, like Brie.