Q: I am going on vacation with my husband's family in Hawaii in April, and each family is responsible for cooking dinner at least one night. I am a vegan so I'm wondering what kind of of vegetarian/vegan meal can I make, possibly using fresh local ingredients, that will satisfy the meat-eaters?

Sent by Melissa

Q: I've got endless party recipes for foods to have out on tables when people arrive, but can you or your readers recommend recipes that can be made in advance of a party, then heated or cooked in an oven mid-way through a party? 

Q: I found your terrific recipe for Fruit Crumble. We will be baking a variety of fruit crisps and crumbles for 200 people for a wedding and had planned on using aluminum pans — the flimsy kind — for this task. Are we wrong to use these pans? From bake to serve, will be about 6 hours. Thanks!

Sent by Peg

Q: I've grown up with an appreciation for good liquor and cocktails, and I would like to stock my bar with more than gin and whiskey. I have weekly dinners and brunches, and would like to give my guests options for drinks and cocktails. Recommendations?

Sent by Dani

Q: I've started planning Easter dinner for my family. We have 6 adults, two of them vegan. My plan is to do lamb chops for the carnivores and go vegan for the side dishes. My other challenge is that I'm on-call Sunday morning so I need things that can be prepared a head of time. 

Q: I'm hosting a boozy St. Patrick's Day brunch this Saturday and wanted to make alcoholic Shamrock Shakes. Can you recommend a good recipe?

Sent by Kristin

Q: As the resident baker in the office, I've been commissioned to provide baked goods for an upcoming seminar we're holding for clients (20-30 people in all). Any suggestions on what to make? I'd like something that's elegant, easy to eat, not messy, and most importantly, delicious!

Q: Because of the Jewish rules around the Sabbath, I often end up in a situation where I have guests for lunch on Saturday, but all of the prep and cooking needs to be done by Friday afternoon. And given all of the rules, it's so much easier not to worry about heating things up. 

Q: I am planning an October wedding and since neither the groom nor I enjoy sweets, we were going to serve a cheese course with port. How much cheese should I be serving per person or for 130 people? 

Q: I'm planning to host a Les Misérables themed Oscar party for several of my friends. I have a ton of ideas about decor, but I am stumped for food. Any ideas?

Sent by Rachel