Getting prepared -- The well-stocked storm pantry: a shopping list -- The ultimate storm pantry, a fourteen-day meal plan -- Just the basics, a five-day plan for basic pantry provisioning -- The spices of life -- Essential herbs, potting your own herb garden -- The backyard tree, using nature's bounty -- Manual gadgets -- Sample menus -- A Florida-style brunch -- A Latin fiesta -- Picnic for two -- A Pan-Asian supper -- A Mediterranean sampler -- Appetizers -- Tomato-mushroom bruschetta -- Chunky hummus -- Avocado salsa -- Spicy salsa -- Tapenade toasts -- Creamy spinach and artichoke dip -- Thai peanut dip -- Creamed tuna in avocado boats -- Pesto and chickpea spread -- Soups and salads -- Salade Nicoise -- Hearts of palm salad -- Mom's black-eyed-pea salad -- Gazpacho "martinis" -- Vichyssoise -- Bean and roasted red pepper salad -- Dijon potato salad -- South of the border corn soup -- Greek-style bean salad -- Tropical tuna salad -- Shrimp and white bean salad -- Mango-carrot salad -- Main courses -- Savory ham with dijon cream -- Currant-mustard ham -- Minted pineapple ham -- Curried chicken -- Cranberry-orange chicken -- Chipotle chicken soft tacos -- Asian bulgur pilaf -- Honey-mustard chicken with pecans -- Chickpea and potato "stew" -- Salmon with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts -- Salmon with tahini sauce -- Valerie's tuna cannelini -- Asian chicken pasta toss -- Provencal chicken pasta -- Lemon herb pasta -- Pasta with salmon dill cream sauce -- Island shrimp -- Pasta puttanesca -- Savory vegetables in herb dressing -- Peanuty chicken over puffed rice -- Pasta with pesto sauce -- Dressings and sauces -- Tahini dressing -- Apple and cider vinegar dressing -- Peanut sauce -- Mustard maple vinaigrette -- Grapefruit relish -- Walnut raspberry vinaigrette -- Classic Dijon vinaigrette -- Guava vinaigrette -- Desserts -- Poached Moroccan fruits -- Black Forest tarts -- Lemon-lime custards -- Chocolate-vanilla parfait -- Key lime pie -- Tiramisu -- Black &

tan cookies -- Peach-raspberry "cobblers" -- Rosewater-scented pistachio pudding -- Raisin-date nut balls -- Oranges with grand marnier and cinnamon -- Aunt poppy's peach-raspberry torte -- Poached ginger figs -- Beverages -- The hurricane -- Café frappe -- Spiced coffee -- Mock sangria -- Cranberry lime fizz -- Spiced red wine -- Herbed ginger soda -- Pineapple-guava cocktail -- Limeade -- Spicy Bloody Mary -- Refrigerated foods, to keep or not to keep? -- Substitutions.