Deviled ham gets a spicy sweet kick from raspberry chipotle sauce. It makes a delightfully different appetizer as a dip or spread and goes together fast in the food processor. If you are unable to find raspberry chipotle sauce, you can make your own or simply use a mixture of raspberry jam and hot sauce.

• Raspberry Deviled Ham Spread Recipe
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Seems like we've always enjoyed them, but widespread cultivation of cashews is a twentieth century innovation. Long a favorite in South American, Indian, and Asian cuisines, the rest of the world is finally catching on to the pleasure of cashews in savory dishes. Try Curried Beef Gratin, Peanut Butter Mud Bars, Chocolate Nut Banana Cream Cake, or one of the many other cashew recipes.

• Cashew Recipes and Cooking Tips
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If you think that sliced or shredded packaged stuff labeled Swiss Cheese is the real thing, think again! Not all cheese with holes is Swiss cheese and not all Swiss cheese has holes. Learn about Swiss cheese (including Emmentaler and Gruyére), how to store it, and get some cooking tips before delving into the many recipes, such as Leek and Cheese Matzoh Pie, Cheese & Mustard Bread, and more.

• Swiss Cheese Recipes and Cooking Tips

With the flexibility of the growing seasons in Mexico, California and Florida, and importation from reverse-season areas like South America, strawberries are available pretty much year-round. Strawberries are most often eaten in desserts or fresh from the field, but they are also good in savory dishes. Try such strawberry recipes as Strawberry Vinegar, Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Sauce, Strawberry Cream Dream Muffins, and more.

• Strawberry Recipes and Cooking Tips
_{Strawberries Photo © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Watermelons come in many varieties so you can choose from red or yellow flesh and seeded or seedless varieties. Learn how to cut decorative hearts into a handle for the basket to make an elegant but easy edible party decoration or centerpiece. Simply follow these easy step-by-step instructions and fill with your favorite fruit salad recipe. If you will be using the fruit scooped out from the watermelon basket, consider buying a seedless variety.

• Carve a Watermelon Basket - Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
_{Watermelon Basket Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

The beautiful colors of this red, white, and blue potato salad come from the potatoes themselves. If you cannot find blue potatoes, purple ones will do, or simply use all red and white. This recipe is obviously perfect for the 4th of July due to the coloring, but you can enjoy it year-round. Red, White & Blue Potato Salad is even better at room temperature than cold.

• Red, White & Blue Potato Salad Recipe
_{Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Kebabs are versatile enough to serve to guests or family while pleasing vegetarians to meat-lovers. Get tips and hints on how to make the best shish kebabs, then try such kebab and brochette recipes as Orange Ginger Beef and Shrimp Shish Kebabs, Pomegranate Lamb Kebabs, Seafood Brochettes with Tomato-Basil Champagne Sauce, and more.

• Shish Kebab Recipes and Cooking Tips

Most of us will be planning some type of gathering of friends and family to celebrate July 4th. Potato salad is a traditional dish for summer gatherings. These potato salad recipes use standard white or red potatoes, gold potatoes, blue or purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, and others.

• Potato Salad Recipes for Memorial Day
_{Potato Salad Recipes Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

The tiniest amount of saffron goes a long way. So in spite of it being the world's most expensive spice, it is still within the budget of the home cook. We most associate saffron with savory foods, but it is also used in desserts. Sink your teeth into Tomato Saffron Chicken, Bouillabaisse (Seafood Stew), Golden Saffron Cake, or one of the many other saffron recipes.

• Saffron Recipes and Cooking Tips
_{Saffron Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Chocolate and marshmallows are a match made in heaven. This candy-like dessert is a bit lighter in texture than traditional fudge but just as decadent. Cut in small squares because they are quite rich. The peanuts may be omitted, if you wish.

• Marshmallow Mud Fudge Recipe
_{Marshmallow Mud Fudge Recipe Photo © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}