Sauce

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve over vanilla ice cream and top with whipped cream.

All of the components for this sophisticated dessert can be made the day before, then assembled quickly at the last minute. Sabayon (also called zabaglione) is a custard sauce that is whisked over hot water until it is light and foamy.

This Argentinian sauce is served with both grilled meats and fish. Its spice and herbal flavors go well with the smokiness imparted by the grill, and the vinegar’s bite cuts through the richness of steak. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pesto is, of course, a great sauce for pasta, and this topping is also good on steamed vegetables and grilled meats. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This sauce can be prepared with yellow bell peppers instead of poblano chiles. Both sauces go equally well with the chicken-and they also complement each other nicely. So follow your mood: earthy poblano or sunny, sweet yellow bell pepper-or make half a recipe of each and serve them both. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Apricot Yogurt Cake with Orange Honey Syrup and Halvah Vanilla Ice Cream . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Almonds, pistachios, raisins, ginger and a touch of tea team up in a luscious sauce.

This sauce accompanies Ginger, Fig and Cranberry Semifreddo . It's also great drizzled over vanilla ice cream.

Terrific with roast turkey or pork.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, a contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says, "As far back as I can remember, my father has been glazing the holiday ham with Marsala (we always have ham and turkey on Thanksgiving). When I started making the cranberry sauce, I decided to mix in a little Marsala, figuring that the combination would complement the ham nicely. I was right, and the sauce is terrific with turkey, too. Rosemary might seem like an unusual seasoning in this sauce, but for me it's a natural addition. I live in Southern California, and fresh rosemary is just everywhere."

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking. People tend to differ as to what the real, authentic food traditions are. These differences can cut across countries, regions, or even families (my wife and I can never agree on what to have for Christmas dinner). But on one subject, there is no disagreement among the people of Norway, Sweden, and Finland: Gravlaks should be served with a sweet mustard sauce.