Seafood

Serve thick-cut french fries and a mixed-greens, beet and onion salad alongside the fish. Finish with a purchased custard pie; tall glasses of mint iced tea would complement all of it nicely.

A dish created by Kevin Taylor, Chef of Café Iguana, in Denver, Colorado.

Pecan-studded rice pilaf and sautéed pattypan squash are great with the scallops, and lemon pound cake with sugared berries tops off the meal nicely.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Sharpen your cutting and chopping skills and see how to prepare salmon like a pro with our technique videos.

The bold flavors of Spain's famous paella-sausage, seafood and saffron-meet the luscious, creamy texture of Italy's risotto in this beautiful rice dish. Pour a chilled dry white wine during dinner, and offer flan for dessert.

The following recipe calls for filé powder, a spice made from the dried, ground leaves of the sassafras tree. Although often added as a thickener to gumbos while they cook, filé powder can also serve purely as a seasoning. As in this recipe, it is then sprinkled over the gumbo at the penultimate moment.

Using a pastry bag to pipe the hummus onto the pita toasts saved us a lot of time (and made for nice-looking hors d'oeuvres). You can make your own pastry bag with a heavy-duty plastic bag. Just spoon the hummus into the bag and squeeze it into one corner. Then snip off the corner to make a small hole and begin piping.

Our tuna salad has a Mediterranean twist: olives and roasted red peppers. Have this sandwich for lunch at home or work or on a picnic, served with a tomato salad. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Begin with chicken soup enriched with tiny pasta and fresh spinach leaves. Thick slices of country bread are perfect with the tuna salad, and tiramisù is the dessert of choice.

Grilling the fish makes it moist and tender.

This salad is as versatile as it is delicious. We loved it with squid and with shrimp. Add a loaf of crusty bread, and you've got a complete meal. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

"Last summer I attended an event at the Three Clock Inn in South Londonderry, Vermont. The chef prepared a lovely luncheon, and it included delicious crab cakes," Bill Brett of Bondville, Vermont. "When I went home, I came up with my own version." The crab cakes are loaded with fresh crabmeat and are accented by a tangy sauce.

This dish features garam masala, a flavorful blend of roasted and ground spices used in Indian cuisine and now available in the spice section of most supermarkets. Accompany the shrimp with bottled tomato chutney or fruit chutney and a basket of warm flatbread. A mango smoothie with a plate of coconut macaroons is the perfect dessert.