Seafood

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Asparagus, green beans and peas give this pasta its name. Start with an antipasto platter of purchased marinated vegetables, cured meats and cheeses. Serve the pasta with some crusty Italian bread. Champagne makes a festive beverage.

This is made with homemade pasta at the inn. Our easy alternative uses cooked lasagne noodles cut into squares. From the Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland. Watch how to make your own pasta for ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.

You can steam, grill, boil or broil the shrimp or, even easier, buy them already cooked. Saffron rice and greens mixed with some olives, red onion slices and a garlicky olive oil dressing are perfect side dishes. Sliced oranges sprinkled with a bit of sweet Sherry and paired with some crisp sugar cookies would round out the Spanish-inspired menu.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe comes from my brother, Chris, a high-school athletic coach. If you think stuffed mushrooms sound too foofy for Super Bowl Sunday, I refer you to "Little" Brother. He tells me they are winners every time. There's plenty of room for play in the recipe. The only firm rule: Use more crab than cream cheese.

Shao mai are classic Chinese steamed dumplings. They make a nice starter or an innovative addition to a buffet.

Serve this saucy dish with steamed rice or crusty French bread.

In this light yet intensely flavored dish, the fish is baked, then served with a sauce rich in Asian flavors. Offer with steamed white rice, and pour white wine or Champagne.

Shrimp in a garlicky sauce is a classic— and a classically simple— Spanish tapa. It is usually cooked and presented in individual shallow earthenware casseroles, but it can just as easily be made in a larger casserole or skillet. Offer crusty bread alongside.

An elegant soup that can be prepared a day ahead. Begin the occasion by passing smoked chicken canapés. To make them, spread mayonnaise over crustless sandwich bread, and top with thinly sliced smoked chicken. Cut the open-face sandwiches into triangles, and garnish each of them with a few onion sprouts.