Fish

The cod here is basically pan-roasted. If you want to increase the recipe, simply roast two one-pound pieces. To serve, cut the cod in half with a very sharp knife that will go through the bacon and the cod. Serve this with a lovely, buttery Chardonnay.

(Crostini di Fegatini) Crostini means "little crusts," and in Tuscany, almost every meal begins with a platter of toasted bread slices topped with chopped tomatoes, olive paste or this all-time favorite spread made with chicken livers. Use thin slices of an Italian or French country-style loaf, and serve these crostini with the chicken liver spread on top, or just present the pâté in a pretty bowl surrounded by the toasted baguette slices. Salami and prosciutto would be delicious accompaniments.

A taverna standard, saganaki (fried cheese slices) is named for the two-handled pan it's cooked in. Here, the cheese is melted to make a sauce for fish. Chef Costas Spiliades uses a medium-textured feta, such as Mt. Vikos or Dodoni brands, for this dish. He also uses a Greek Chardonnay, Katsaros, which is sold at some U.S. wine shops. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. With the fish, offer thinly sliced cucumber‑tossed in a dressing of rice vinegar and vegetable oil‑and some purchased sesame noodle salad. For dessert, side-by-side scoops of mango and raspberry sorbets look pretty sprinkled with toasted coconut. (Wasabi powder can be found in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.)

Serve this fiery entrée with <epi:recipeLink id"100959">Five-Vegetable Stir-fry</epi:recipeLink>, and pour tall glasses of herbal iced tea to cool things down.

A quick version of the traditional Sicilian dish pasta con le sarde. Accompany it with herbed focaccia topped with goat cheese, as well as a salad of roasted red bell peppers. Finish the meal with a fresh fruit tart. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you don't have fresh salmon, canned salmon is a perfectly fine stand-in.

This recipe was created to accompany other canapés: Shrimp Canapés , Cheese Canapés and Smoked Mackerel Canapés .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The mushroom and herb topping is similar in texture to bread stuffing. After baking, the fish has a moist center and a delicately crisp top. Partner it with a chilled Viognier.

This recipe comes from my 86-year-old grandmother, a northern Italian from Faenza, who picked it up during her travels as a piano teacher in southern Italy. I've watched her make it my whole life and know the recipe from memory.

One of the secrets of steaming sole is to season the fish just before cooking. If the fish sits too long with the seasonings, the salt will extract water from the fish and, consequently, the fish will be less juicy. Try to choose a fish not longer than 14 inches, so that it will hang over the plate by no more than 1 1/2 inches on each end but will still fit in the steamer. It is not necessary to purchase lemon sole for this recipe; just be sure the fish is very fresh and has the head and tail intact.

The bouquet garni for this stew includes orange peel (use a vegetable peeler to make wide strips) and some of the wispy fronds from the top of the fennel bulb that goes into the soup.

'60S THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW At the opening of every episode, we see Andy and Opie walking to the creek, fishing rods slung over their shoulders, accompanied by the catchy whistled theme music. Mayberry, North Carolina, offered a welcome respite from the growing complexity of the rest of the world. This simple and delicious recipe is one way that Aunt Bee might have prepared Andy's freshly caught trout. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr Though fig leaves keep the fish moist and make for a great presentation, it's also delicious without them. (Note that fig leaves are not edible.)

This is one of my favorite sauces: Its deep, purpley, cranberry color is reason enough for that designation, but then again so is the bright strawberry/kiwi/watermelon flavor, with its hints of the unbridled tropics. And the fact that you can tell your guests you're serving them cactus fruit (and that it is delicious) gives you a decidedly exotic edge. The puree is very watery, like watermelon juice, so in order to give the sauce some body but not take away all the fruit's freshness, I've directed you to rapidly boil down part of the puree with sugar, then cool it and add the remaining uncooked puree. This method works well with watermelon puree, too, should you not be able to find prickly pears. You will need about 3 cups seeded, pureed watermelon pulp.

This idea comes from The Mercer Kitchen, a great restaurant in New York City's SoHo district that serves innovative, bold-flavored food. Color, as well as taste, is important here, so arrange the veggies carefully.