43 recipes perfect for two from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

Try a sherry-based zabaglione, whisking in a moderately sweet oloroso with just a touch of hazelnut liqueur. The custard is full-bodied and lightly sweet from the aged sherry, the hints of hazelnut earthy and warm. Recipe: Hazelnut sherry zabaglione

Delicate, creamy and simple to make. Recipe: Meyer lemon posset

This rich and creamy dessert delivers chocolate accented with a hint of port. Recipe: Frozen chocolate zabaglione

A thick, 2-pound, bone-in rib steak, some coarse sea salt and pepper. It doesn’t take much more to make a perfect main course. Recipe: Cote de boeuf

Recipe: Shrimp and broccoli stir-fry

A cold chicken preparation adapted from Robert A. Delfs’ “The Good Food of Szechwan” combines the ground aromatic peppercorns with that everyday Asian quartet of ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil to make an enchantingly fragrant sauce that transmutes a simple poached chicken breast into a tantalizing and memorable delicacy. Recipe: Cold chicken slices with sesame and Sichuan pepper

Chicken is flavored with a blend of soy sauce, lemon juice, coriander, cinnamon, pepper and fennel. Recipe: Soy-sauteed chicken

Wild mushroom soup is a rich purée. Recipe: Joe’s wild mushroom soup

This pasta sauce has an old-fashioned long-simmered taste, but takes less than 15 minutes to cook. Recipe: Rigatoni with mushrooms and pancetta

Recipe: Canele’s pan-seared snapper

Madeleine Kamman, in her book “In Madeleine’s Kitchen”, suggests roasting the legs under a coating of Dijon mustard and breadcrumbs. The crust keeps in the juices while the meat turns succulent. Recipe: Duck legs roasted with mustard

Toss fat chunks of crab with a fruity dressing of orange and lime juices with fava beans and diced avocado, then with butter lettuce, and you get a decadent salad and an extravagant appetizer in one. Recipe: Crab salad

Beet greens can be stewed with golden raisins and pine nuts and then served at room temperature in a dish that is popular during the hot summer months. Recipe: Beet greens with golden raisins and pine nuts

Chicken breasts are topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, herbs and rich pancetta. Recipe: Basque-style chicken

The honey chipotle shrimp salad at the Getty Center’s restaurant is blended with a cilantro lime cream. Recipe: Honey chipotle shrimp salad

Recipe: Tuscan kale salad

Dark green julienned strips of kale are tossed with nutty quinoa and sunflower seeds, colorful bell pepper and red grapes, then dressed with a bright Champagne vinaigrette. Recipe: La Grande Orange Cafe’s kale and quinoa salad

Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula make for a quick yet flavorful dinner. Recipe: Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula

Dandelion greens and bacon are a natural combination. Recipe: Wilted dandelion grens with bacon

Recipe: Cleo’s Brussels sprouts

Steamed baby bok choy is delicious eaten as is, but you can spruce it up with an Asian sauce. You can serve this with fish or chicken or eat it by itself as a light entree. Recipe: Steamed bok choy with Thai sauce

You might never miss the meat with this hearty vegetarian dish. Recipe: Vegetarian Hunan-style tofu

This savory take on the comfort food -- stuffed with bacon, Gruyere cheese and dandelion greens and pan-fried to ooey-gooey perfection -- works well served any time of the day. Recipe: Savory stuffed French toast