Make Ahead

There is almost no piece of meat—except for a big, fat, expensive rib eye or porterhouse—that cannot be improved by a good dry rub. It's quick to assemble yet will pay you back in smoky dividends all summer long.

Got eggs, sugar, and cream? Then you can make a striking Italian semifreddo. It's the lushest and creamiest of frozen desserts—no ice cream maker required.

Like the striped pops from the ice cream truck—without the artificial flavors and colors.

It's hard to believe that a three ingredient dessert can deliver such a big flavor payoff. Try garnishing with a wedge of watermelon.

Garnish this dessert with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, which are a snap to make using a vegetable peeler. If the chocolate is especially hard, as bittersweet chocolate tends to be, microwave it in 15-second intervals until it's soft enough to be shaved. The softer the chocolate, the larger the curls.

This Tunisian mixture elevates everything from flatbreads to <epi:recipelink id="365691">grilled lambepi:recipelink. Make extra so you'll have some on hand all summer long.</epi:recipelink></epi:recipelink>

Forget the cornichons. Serve these instead with your favorite pâté, or alongside a salumi platter.

Best with beef, pork, lamb, game meats

Best with pork, chicken, turkey, rich fish, shellfish

Editor's note: Use this injection to make Myron Mixon's Pork Shoulder . You can make your hog injection in a large quantity and use as much as you need, depending on whether your smoking a whole hog or a shoulder; it's easy to make a lot at once because you can keep whatever's left in the refrigerator for up to a year. That's the way I do it at home, too.

Use this rub to make Myron Mixon's World Famous Cupcake Chicken or Old-Fashion Barbecue Chicken .

You can make the custard base a day ahead for this chocolate chip gelato.

A little sugar never hurt anyone. But make sure you're only having a little—and not the whopping 40-plus grams in a can of commercial pop—by using simple syrup. The sweet base for many homemade sodas lets you control how much sugar goes into your drink. Start with just a small amount—a tablespoon has 8 grams of sugar—adding more as desired.

Look for dried hibiscus flowers at specialty food shops and Latin markets.

SHERYL: The first time Wyatt had one of Chuck's zucchini muffins it was as if he'd died and gone to muffin heaven. I was thrilled, of course, because I knew he was actually eating zucchini without the fuss factor. Now, the first thing out of his mouth every morning is, "I want a keenie muffin!" Being the creature of habit that he is, I believe he would start every day with one of Chuck's muffins, and the nice thing about it is that Mommy can make them, too!

Here's how Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi of New York City's Torrisi Italian Specialties make these cake-like Technicolor treats.