Squash

Although lamb is not commonly found in Chinese dishes, Hong Kong restaurants reach out to explore every nuance of Asian cuisine. Lamb is popular with the nomads of Mongolia and Manchuria; they would most likely cook the meat in a firepot. Here it's used in a more delicate stir-fry.

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

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An Italian dish that's great with brunch, or as a light lunch or appetizer on its own.

Calabaza en Tacha Señora Consuelo de Mendoza There are many regional recipes for pumpkins cooked with raw sugar, either piloncillo in the form of cones, or panela, in thick rounds — the darker the color the richer the flavor. This recipe comes from the eastern part of Michoacán, where it is eaten preferably for breakfast with a glass of cold milk.

Escalivada, from Catalonia in northeastern Spain, is a mixture of vegetables roasted in the ashes of a slow fire. Plenty of wood chips add a smoky nuance here; the finished vegetables are offered at room temperature in a roasted-garlic vinaigrette.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 5 1/2 hr (plus 1 week for flavors to develop)

If you can't find raw unhulled pumpkin seeds, you can substitute 6 ounces of the hulled (green) ones, but the pipián (seed-thickened sauce) will be richer. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

This midsummer fare is adapted from a dish I enjoyed at 192, our favorite wine-bar-restaurant in London's Kensington: its inspiration is, I am sure, from Spain. You can buy a whole chunk of chorizo sausage — or a string of smaller ones — to slice yourself. Most good gourmet stores stock chorizo (mild or spicy), and many supermarkets do, too.

Feel free to add, subtract, or substitute any raw or cooked vegetables you'd like, but make sure there's a good variety of textures and colors.