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Desserts can range from rice puddings and halvas to chilled yogurt sweets, fruit ices, cookies, and baked bars. They are varied, but dessert works best as the final part of a broader meal.

For everyday meals, dessert can simply be omitted when the meal is not an occasion. In larger menus, it follows vegetables, grains, protein dishes, salads, and condiments rather than replacing them.

That keeps sweetness in proportion. Dessert remains part of the culinary arc, not a disconnected event that determines the rest of the menu.

Ingredients

• One dessert suited to the meal
• A serving size appropriate to the rest of the menu
• Fruit, grain, dairy, nuts, or spices according to the recipe
• A lighter everyday option when desired

Method

Choose dessert after the savory menu is already clear. For an everyday meal, omit it or keep it simple. For a larger dinner, select one dessert whose richness and temperature make sense after the dishes that came before it.