American

Throughout Abraham Lincoln's political career, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, would periodically bake for him the Todd family's favorite cake, based on a recipe dating back to 1825. On first tasting it, Lincoln is reported to have said that this white almond cake was the "best I ever ate." That's high praise, but we've made a good thing even better by adding a coffee-cinnamon layer and drizzling the cake with a luscious coffee glaze.

A chewy brownie with an intense coffee flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To give these cookies a pretty curved shape, drape them over a wooden dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon immediately after removing them from the cookie sheet.

This recipe can be increased to serve any number of hungry people as a main course or appetizer. Chopped olives, chopped red or green bell peppers and kidney beans are also good in this dish.

Here's an updated version of the ice cream pie — a dessert popular in America for years. It has a parfait filling instead of ice cream and is assembled in a springform pan. The familiar cookie crust and fudgy topping are still part of the recipe, but the dessert is now sophisticated enough for company.

Leftovers of this moist and flavorful meat loaf make great sandwiches.

Adapted from a recipe by Chef Robert McGrath of Windows on the Green, Phoenix, Arizona.