Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large heavy skillet over low heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and sugar. Caramelize onions over low heat, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Pour vinegar over onions; increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil; remove from heat. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and set aside to keep warm. The recipe can be prepared up to 3 days in advance to this point, cover and refrigerate. Reheat to serve.

Meanwhile, fan cut the eggplants but taking a sharp knife and cutting thin slices from just below the stem of the eggplant all the way to the bottom, being careful not to separate the slices at the top. With the heel of your hand, press firmly on the stem end of the eggplant to "fan out" the slices, making the eggplant lie flat (also a great technique for zucchini).

Preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush eggplants with remaining olive oil; sprinkle with salt. Grill them until tender. Center one eggplant on each of four warmed serving plates, mound with one quarter of the caramelized onions, then place a slice of goat cheese beside the eggplant on plates. Drizzle the warm vinegar drippings from the onion marmalade around the edges of each of the eggplants. Garnish with whole basil leaves and chiffonade. Serve warm. Serves 4.

* Japanese eggplants are smaller and more elongated than our domestic varieties. They may be found in specialty markets or your local supermarket.

ORANGE AND LEMON SALAD

This classic Italian salad always reminds me of warm, sunny spring days in southern Italy, from where it originates. The first time you try it, you will agree that the unlikely matching of flavors produces a vibrant, lively and always beautiful side dish.

• 4 oranges (blood oranges if you can find them; see below)
• 1 or 2 lemons, very ripe (Meyer lemons if you can find them; see below)
• 1 small red onion
• 6 fresh basil leaves, or fresh mint, or combination of both
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons Extra-Virgin olive oil

With a very sharp knife, peel oranges and lemons, removing all the white pith (see below). Slice oranges into medium slices, lemons somewhat thinner. Remove any visible seeds.

Layer overlapping orange and lemon slices on a serving platter or on individual plates. Thinly slice or chop the onion, arrange over fruit slices. Cut large basil or mint leaves in chiffonade (see below). Small leaves may remain whole. Scatter leaves over the fruit. Sprinkle generously with black pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

Let stand one to three hours before serving. The salad should be served at room temperature. Serves 4.

Know your ingredients: Blood Oranges

There are so many varieties of oranges in the market; it is helpful to know which varieties will work best in this recipe. I like to use Navel oranges because of their large size, shape and bright color. An added benefit is that there are no seeds that must be removed. And when available, I use blood oranges.

Blood oranges most often come from Italy, but are now being raised in the U.S. and can be found in gourmet markets and some farmers' markets.

They are not always recognizable. The skin is sometimes tinged with a blush, but most often, they appear to be just like any other orange on the outside. Don't be fooled. On the inside, they have spots of red, varying from orangey-red to ruby. They are very sweet and fresh tasting, providing a unique color to this healthy and very flavorful dessert.

I will never forget my first introduction to blood oranges. I had purchased what I thought were regular oranges in the market. Upon slicing one in half to serve it, I saw the bright red interior, and thought something was terribly wrong with the orange. So, I threw it away - now I know better!

LEMONS Two varieties of lemons are most widely available in the marketplace: the Eureka and the Meyer. Eureka lemons are more commonly found. They are characterized by their rather thick, bright yellow skins. The skins of Meyer lemons are thinner, usually tinged with a bit of orange color. This is attributed to their heritage. They are a hybrid cross between lemons and Mandarin oranges or tangerines. Many people feel that Meyers are sweeter than Eureka lemons - this is due to their lower acidity. Meyers have a wonderful fruity, well-rounded flavor.

Lemon flavor comes not only from the juice but from the zest; the thin outer yellow portion of the rind, not the white pith underneath. Zest contains lemon oil, a powerful flavoring without the acidity of lemon juice. It is a flavoring of choice in many recipes. Use a fine grater to easily zest a lemon.

A medium lemon should yield about 21/2 tablespoons of juice. Juicing can be made easier by microwaving a lemon on high for 10 seconds, then rolling on a hard surface before juicing.

Lemons can be stored at room temperature for two or three days, but beyond that they should be refrigerated.

CORIANDER AND PEPPER CRUSTED SALMON

• 4 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced coriander or cilantro leaves
• 4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt

With a mortar and pestle, or the back of a large spoon in a small bowl, crush the coriander seeds. Combine with the pepper, salt and coriander leaves. This may be done 6 hours in advance. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven and baking sheet to 425°F. Spread coriander and pepper mixture on shallow plate. Lightly brush each salmon fillet with 1/ 2 teaspoon olive oil; press into spice mixture to coat only the topside. The salmon can be prepared to this point in advance, covered and refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Let salmon rest for 15 minutes to come to room temperature before cooking.

Heat remaining oil in sauté pan over high heat. Place fillets in heated pan, cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove to heated baking sheet. Place in preheated oven; cook 5 to 10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from oven, tent with foil. Let stand 2 to 4 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145° F. Serve immediately, with mango salsa. Serves 4.

Variation:

Delete coating salmon with coriander and pepper mixture. Brush with oil; sear salmon as directed above. Before roasting, brush top of each fillet with 1 teaspoon maple syrup, sprinkle lightly with black pepper. Continue as above.

Mango salsa

• 1 ripe mango
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Puree half of mango in food processor or blender. Dice remaining half. Gently stir all ingredients together to combine, season to taste. Store refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLE TORTE DESSERT

1 cup butter, plus a bit for the pan
• 1 1/ 2 cups sugar
• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/ 4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened raspberry puree with NO SEEDS (see recipe below)
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/ 4 cup raspberry liqueur (such as Framboise)
• 1 teaspoon raspberry extract (optional)
• boiling water for water bath
• unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
• lightly sweetened raspberry coulis
• whipped cream (optional)
• fresh raspberries, for garnish
• mint leaves

Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 to 10-inch springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper, butter paper. Wrap outside of pan in heavy-duty foil, taking care not to make holes, set aside. Melt 1 cup butter and sugar in heavy saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add chopped chocolate pieces; stir until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in raspberry puree. Cool to just warm to touch.

Whisk eggs and yolks in a large bowl just until combined. Gradually whisk in chocolate/raspberry mixture. Add liqueur. Pour batter into prepared springform pan, place pan in larger baking pan. Place in oven; pour boiling water into the outer pan to a depth of one inch. Bake in preheated oven until edges of torte puff slightly but center is not completely set, about 1 hour. DO NOT OVERBAKE (torte will continue to set as it cools). Carefully remove from water bath; remove outer foil. Cool on a rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to one week.

Run a small knife around the side of the pan to loosen. Carefully release pan sides. Sift cocoa powder over torte, if desired. Cut into wedges, wiping knife clean before each cut. You may make cutting the torte easier by heating the knife under very hot water, then drying before each cut. Garnish the wedges with raspberry coulis, whipped cream rosettes, fresh raspberries and mint. Serves 16.

This recipe can be divided in half, and baked in two 6 or 7 inch springform pans if you like. Serve one, freeze the other for another dinner. This is a great torte to cut into serving sized wedges, wrap individually and freeze for future use. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.