Seafood

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Nothing is more basic to French olive people than tapenade, the simple and delicious Provençal caviar eaten with toasted bread. It can be flavored with garlic, bay, thyme, mustard, and even rum or Cognac. Here, it is done the old way.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The chef at Cafe Diablo uses 6- to 8-ounce local trout fillets from Road Creek Trout Farm. We have adapted the recipe for smaller fillets.

Great over rice or toasted French bread.

"I literally didn't know how to boil an egg until I was in my 20s — when I tried to impress a guy by making dinner for him," writes Sally Siegel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I didn't have much success with the dinner or the guy, but I regrouped and put together a repertoire of fairly elegant dishes I felt confident making. Luckily, my husband, Loren, likes to cook as much as I do, so we really work as a team when we give dinner parties. We're both real estate agents, and we like to entertain clients — we've made some great friends by selling houses to them." Silky and light, this blender soup would make a delicate summer starter. Bonus: It comes together very quickly.

Camarones al Ajillo Guajillo chiles are flavorful, fruity, and only mildly hot. Here, they are sautéed to impart a smoky flavor, then cooked slowly with tomatoes to soften them. These chiles are not soaked beforehand, which allows them to maintain texture. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Cubans call this delicious stew enchilado, and while that might sound a lot like enchilada, the two dishes are nothing alike.

Madeira, shiitake mushrooms and hot pepper sauce make the gravy in this dish from Jack Fry's something special. It's great for brunch.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Nice, being by the sea, offers interesting fish dishes. One of these is poutargue, made with dried and smoked roe, which you will find in some delicatessen shops. The roe should be grated or finely chopped. To every 2 cups add 1 cup chopped hard-cooked egg, 1 cup finely chopped onion, a dash of lemon juice and enough olive oil to blend all. Another dish from the sea is raïto or rayte. This is traditional on Christmas Eve throughout Provence. It is reminiscent of other fish stews, including the chioppino of California.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.