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Thick slices of pancetta are cubed and fried for the tastiest croutons ever.

This refreshing soup makes a great first course for a summer dinner party.

Use small heirloom tomatoes in assorted colors for a pretty presentation.

Chop the shallots and the garlic in the processor to make this recipe even easier.

Soba are buckwheat noodles and cook very quickly.

Be sure to use a dry skillet when browning quesadillas.

**Editor's note:**The recipe below is from Perfect Parties by Linnea Johansson.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Perfect Parties by Linnea Johansson.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Perfect Parties, by Linnea Johansson.

**Editor's note:**The recipe below is from Perfect Parties by Linnea Johansson.

Grilled fruit is a newcomer to the traditional Mediterranean table. This dish was inspired by a friend and chef, Nena Ismirnoglou, and then adapted by me for the menu at Pylos, a Greek restaurant in Manhattan's East Village.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text are from Mario Batali's book Italian Grilling. Reprinted with permission by Ecco. All rights reserved. This was one of the first dishes I put on the menu at my restaurant Pó... a long, long time ago. You can vary it by using different greens, such as spicy young watercress, or other cheeses, including sheep's-milk cheese, semi-soft or aged. The beauty of the dish lies in the seemingly incongruous marriage of anchovies and mushrooms: anchovies plus mushrooms equals steak.

These wings are great to gnaw on while you're diligently grilling the main course and sipping a cold one, as my Basque friend Juan Riesco often demonstrated to me. The level of heat is up to you—the Tabasco is your fuel. Serving Suggestions:
These are excellent "tapas"-style appetizers. Serve them at a large cocktail party along with some other Mediterranean-inspired appetizers.

Serve this yogurt-based Greek staple as a first-course accompaniment to pitas and other breads, or as a light but creamy sauce drizzled over spiced roasted meats.

Though you may not be familiar with the name, chilaquiles are the forebears of modern nachos. But the abundance of fresh, flavorful toppings—cool cilantro, salty queso fresco, crisp red onion—makes even the most fluorescent "nacho cheese" seem colorless.

Pretty protein-rich bites by Jarett Brodie, chef at FR.OG in New York City.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Spice Market in New York City, packs in vitamin C.

This soup from Tien Dinh at Pho, in Las Vegas, delivers vitamin A.