Seafood

Flounder is a lean, thin fish that cooks very quickly. So be sure to cook it 4 to 5 inches from the heat source — and watch it carefully! Clover sprouts are available in the produce department of better supermarkets.

This tangy relish also goes well with chicken or pork.

Try a glass of Rioja and some crusty bread with this lovely autumn dish.

"On a trip to the Northwest, I enjoyed dinner at Yarrow Bay Grill in Kirkland, Washington," writes Sue Eltringham of Prescott, Arizona. "I'm a big fan of mussels and was especially fond of their version, with coconut-curry sauce. I'd like to have the recipe so that I can enjoy it again before my next visit." Rich coconut flavor and just the right amount of heat make this starter special. A trip to an Asian market will likely yield most of the ingredients you need.

Adapted from Emerson & Green

The saffron adds not only a lovely aroma but vivid color as well. Open a bottle of Chardonnay to go with the meal.

Be sure to use the whipped cream cheese sold in tubs—it will give this dip a smooth, light texture—and not the regular cream cheese in blocks. If the dip seems a little salty, just serve it with unsalted chips.

Add rice or soft oriental noodles, and this becomes a quick supper. Look for wasabi powder and sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Serve these tacos with salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado and black olives. Corn and black bean salad finishes the meal—except for dessert. We recommend spice cake.

Steaming, a method often used by Asian cooks, works well with delicately flavored red snapper, since the aromatics (ginger, scallion, chile) are easily absorbed by the fish.

An elegant, portable entrée. Baby greens with vinaigrette would round out the menu nicely. What to drink: A lightly oaked Chardonnay.

Ginger and sesame lend an Asian accent.