Bon Appétit

For the kids, simply serve the cocktail base over ice—hold the vodka, naturally.

Ribs are among the constants on the world's barbecue trail, but just how they’re prepared reflects a strong regional and cultural bias. The vast ranch lands and forests of the New World, for example, led to American-style barbecue, with its large slabs of spareribs slow-roasted on a smoker for the better part of a day. Asians adopted a different strategy: cooking small cuts or single ribs on tiny grills engineered for fuel efficiency. The flavor would come not from wood smoke (Asians don't have wood to burn by the cord), but from the explosively flavored seasoning indigenous to the region, like lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce. Case in point: These Cambodian-style ribs, from Sarun Pich, a chef at the Amansara resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

As this recipe proves, barbecue isn't just about the meat. Veggies taste even better when they're grilled. Add some crumbled Maytag blue cheese and a bright dressing for a meal that even a carnivore could love.

Peperonata—an Italian condiment usually made of sautéed tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic—is spiced up with a poblano chile. Here, we've added chicken breasts to turn it into a satisfying main course. Serve Italian-style, over polenta, or Mexican—style, wrapped in warm tortillas with slices of avocado and dollops of sour cream. Instead of chicken, you can also spoon the peperonata over grilled flank steak or crusty grilled bread.

The perfect dessert for your next barbecue: This chilled pie is an appealing combination of chocolate, berries, and lemon. And all it takes is a food processor and a whisk. The crust—made from chocolate wafer cookies and melted chocolate—is simply pressed into the pan. The filling is just a mix of sweet, bright, and tangy ingredients.

This addictive appetizer is a delicious combination of sour cream, cheese, and corn. A little minced jalapeño adds heat.

A crème fraîche custard is folded into the mixed-fruit filling of this elegant nectarine-blackberry crisp.

An amazing mix of textures and flavors—nutty, sweet, salty, plus a touch of heat from the peppercorns.

Brown butter gives depth of flavor to the berry filling.

Eggs are always a go-to ingredient for the quick cook. Here, they're used in a quiche-like southwestern tart.Round out the meal with a romaine salad or a cup of gazpacho.

The egg-dipped ham sandwiches are even better with Spanish ingredients: salty Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and sweet membrillo (quince paste), which is available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from igourmet.com.

The famous Argentine herb sauce is thinned out with a little more olive oil and vinegar to make a bright herbal dressing for the salad. Instead of a big rib eye, this recipe calls for flank steak, a thin cut that's ideal when you're pressed for time.

This salty, savory nibble is perfect with the sparkling cocktail. A garnish of crispy shallots adds just the right amount of crunch.

A couple of rosemary sprigs are all you need to flavor each whole trout. Serve with tabbouleh.

This dish is like risotto (only quicker and easier) and features cooked orzo topped with garlicky shrimp.

French pastry chefs dedicated this classic dessert to the Russian royal family. In this version, Grand Marnier-soaked berries are served with a tangy homemade ice cream (in place of the usual whipped cream). If you'd like, serve some sweet, crisp cookies alongside.

The chicken sausages are a terrific time-saving ingredient: They're already cooked and full of flavor.

Purchased tapenade gives rich, briny flavor to the fish and the couscous.

Later in the summer, you can use eggplant in place of the portobellos.