Starter

These clams in garlicky broth were named after Bulhão Pato, a 19th-century Portuguese poet. Although his verses have been largely forgotten, the dish remains popular throughout Lisbon. Serve it as the first course of an elegant meal or as the main course of a light lunch.

"I never had a cookbook until I moved here in my twenties to do some graduate work at the University of Oregon," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "I fell head over heels for this guy (now my husband), and he gave me Pellaprat's Modern French Culinary Art for Christmas. Still, many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris. She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast." Called gougères in French, these cocktail snacks are irresistible.

Jasper White discovered the flavorful, tender red shrimp of Stonington, Connecticut, while opening Summer Shack, his restaurant at the nearby Mohegan Sun casino. For this recipe, we tried several different kinds of shrimp, and all varieties worked well.

You can substitute wasabi powder for the wasabi paste in this recipe, but we find that the paste imparts a fresher flavor. Force the wasabi powder through a very fine sieve before using. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Though these dumplings are traditionally cooked in stacked Asian bamboo or metal steamers, you can also use a pasta pot with a deep perforated colander-steamer insert. If your pot has a second shallow colander-steamer insert, you can steam 2 batches at once. The dumplings should be served warm, so reheat them in batches as platters need replenishing.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr While you could make one without the other, Blue Ginger's shrimp toasts go so well with this flavorful soup that the two recipes function as a pair. We think of the combination as an Asian twist on soup and a sandwich.

Apples bring a mild sweetness to this rich soup, which can be made a day ahead.

What to drink: Gainey Vineyard 2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Limited Selection, Santa Ynez Valley, or another full-bodied, heavily oaked Sauvignon Blanc.

Fried sage leaves make a crispy garnish. Try them also crumbled on mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

Generally this dish is served in Andalusia as part of a mixed fish fry, but it's wonderful on its own. The marinade makes the fish flavorful and succulent.

If Cabrales is difficult to find in your area, it can be ordered on-line from tienda.com. Italian Gorgonzola can also be substituted. Serve the onions and the Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic with plenty of crusty bread. What to drink: Albariño. This fragrant Spanish white varietal is a smooth match with the starters and the red snapper baked in salt.

"I had a wonderful dinner at the Ligonier Tavern in Ligonier, Pennsylvania," writes Heather McCarthy of Pittsburgh. "The starter — an artichoke dip — stands out most in my memory. Any chance that chef David Cassler would share his recipe?"

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. As I've gotten older, preserving this tradition has become more important to me, so I've started experimenting with family recipes, including this one." Enough for a large family and guests, too.

Pack this dip next to an ice pack to keep it cold on your way to the picnic.

The classic Andalusian gazpacho is found all over the region with surprisingly few variations, except for the addition of cucumber and onion—ingredients that have fallen out of favor with chefs who prefer to allow the pure taste of the tomatoes, Sherry vinegar, and olive oil to shine through.

This hearty soup makes delicious use of the flavorful 1/4-inch-thick rinds that remain after wedges of Parmesan have been grated away; they infuse the soup with a nice salty bite as it simmers.

The sauce is a twist on raita, the cooling yogurt side dish served with spicy foods. Like all the best buffet dishes, the eggplant is equally good warm or at room temperature.

This light, refreshing salad is from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.