Seafood

This delicate savory version of the frothy dessert sauce is a lovely accompaniment to almost every kind of fish. Market tip: Farmed bay scallops are the most sustainable choice; if not available, choose wild-caught Atlantic sea scallops.

To offset its bitterness, the endive is caramelized with sugar in this recipe.

This is a very quick recipe to make; just remember to start marinating the salmon the day ahead. You can easily half or double the amounts.

Bibb and Boston are both types of butter lettuce; you can use either in this recipe. What to drink: An Australian Sémillon, or a California Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc will stand up to the rich flavors in this meal.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with dill sprigs and sliced ripe tomatoes or pile onto whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce for a satisfying sandwich.

The port cities of Normandy-Caen among them-offer almost endless choices for fall menu planning. For this satisfying stew, the natural bounty of Normandy's waters, the rich cream of its pasturelands and its distinctive apple-based brandy called Calvados are combined with savory root vegetables from the local harvest. Start out with your favorite pâté and some cornichons, and serve a crusty baguette with the stew. Pour a white Burgundy or hard cider.

Transform flounder fillets into an elegant dinner with this classic French technique.

(Sicilian "Pizza" with Onions and Anchovies) Sfinciune derives its name from a word in local dialect meaning soft, light, or tender, a reference to its rich, airy crust. This version of sfinciune has a bread-crumb topping, which gives it a pleasant crunch.

Ideally, the sweet wine in the marinade should be Muscat, a famous Samos wine.

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes making stock and rouille)

Accompany these with your favorite purchased or homemade tartar sauce.

We thought of this dish as a main course for lunch, but it would also be great for dinner, particularly with grilled steak. (Serves four as a starter or side dish.)

"I was in Boston on a business trip when I discovered the city's North End and its many old Italian restaurants," writes Jennifer Fassman of Westport, Connecticut. "After wandering around the small, quaint streets, I was surprised to find a bright, modern restaurant — Marcuccio's. I took the waiter's advice and ordered the sea bass with parsley sauce. It was incredible." At the restaurant, this entrée is served with sautéed broccoli rabe (also known as rapini). It would be great with spinach, too.

Try packaged Asian rice mix (or steamed white rice), and tomato and cucumber salad sprinkled with seasoned rice vinegar. To end, spoon sliced fruits over mango sorbet. Look for the horseradish paste in the Asian foods section or next to the packaged sushi.

Nice accompaniments for this Sicilian-style shrimp dish are sautéed broccoli and some orzo (rice-shaped pasta; also called riso) with butter and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. For dessert, serve sliced pears and almond cookies.

For a more colorful presentation of this down-home dip, we reserved some bacon, bell pepper, scallions, and basil for garnish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.