Keto

Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here. Pineapple is the international symbol of welcome, and this light dessert is prepared in advance so all you have to do when guests arrive is serve it. I first had it at the beach. It originated with my friend David Mandel, and he's made many variations of it with different fruits.

This quick and easy tomato sauce is the base for two meals: spaghetti marinara and steamed mussels with tomato broth. We call for canned tomatoes because most of the fresh ones available in the wintertime have a bland flavor and mealy texture. Sugar will help round out the flavor if your tomatoes are too acidic. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like your sauce to have a bit of heat. The leftover sauce also freezes well for future meals.

Truite aux Haricots Verts et Amandes Fresh sweet trout with lemony brown butter and crunchy almonds has become one of my favorite Bouchon dishes. We cook and serve trout with the skin and head on, though the head can be removed after cooking. When I see trout on menus, it brings to mind mountain rivers and fresh air; indeed, in inland France trout was traditionally served only in bistros that had access to freshwater fish, in rivers coming down off the Alps. Most of the trout you find, and the trout we use, is farm raised.

Prosciutto and sage add deep flavor to tilapia, which is a mild fish. Separating the two sides of the fillet helps to keep the thinner part from overcooking.

Agrodolce, an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, combines vinegar and sugar. For tender results, be sure to peel off any leathery outer layers from the shallots.

Thinly sliced garlic is simmered in olive oil until it is so tender that it nearly melts.

Rajas are chile strips cooked with onion (raja means "slice" in Spanish).

Of all the rich and succulent winter squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is more than just pretty — it's edible, too.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Broiled Polenta Sticks .

A butcher may have to cut these impressive, extra-thick steaks for you.

Camarones al Cilantro Laura Bookman of Weston, Massachusetts, writes: "Can you get me the recipe for camarones al cilantro from Cafe Sol Azteca, in Newton Center, Massachusetts?"

Jennifer Janesko of Kansas City, Kansas, writes: "I had an amazing egg drop soup at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian, in Las Vegas. It had a slight kick of lemon and was perfect after a long night of blackjack. Could you get the recipe?"