Simmer

Fresh fennel, fennel seeds and the anise-flavored liqueur Pernod are combined here.

The aroma of sausage simmering in tomatoes expresses Naples as well as any long-cooked ragù. Indeed, the ensuing sauce is often called ragù di salsicce. In this recipe, you produce just enough sauce for a first course of pasta — either spaghetti or ziti is perfect — with a beautiful bonus of meat for the second course. To make the most of the sauce, set aside only a spoonful to top each portion of sausage, then add the cooked pasta to the sauce, turning the pasta in the sauce until it is evenly dressed and has soaked up some of the sauce's savor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Tossing the peaches in lemon juice brightens their flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This sauce is great with roast beef, grilled steaks, and roasted chicken. It is also delicious as a sandwich spread or as a dip for crudités or tortilla chips. The "heat" of the mayonnaise will depend on the variety of chili you use. In a bind, chili powder can be substituted for the chili paste.

Fabio Picchi, owner and chef of the restaurant Cibrèo in Florence, cooks like a Florentine granny with a spicy palate. He takes full advantage of seasonal abundance from the Sant' Ambrogio market next to his restaurant. Fabio's recipes are wonderful but imprecise, quantities are vague, and I've got to pay strict attention so he doesn't skip an ingredient or a step. His refreshing summery tomato aspic is simple and uses traditional ingredients in a novel way, creating a spicy tomato sauce with a wiggle, barely jelled, more fun than a formal aspic. Bright red, speckled with herbs, zapped with chili and garlic, Fabio's appetizer is a far cry from the ladies-lunch image of conventional, transparent consommé aspics. Even my gelatin-hating husband and son love this dish. Double the extra virgin for more authentic Tuscan flavor.

(Sweet Black Rice) Because Thais don't really have a dessert tradition, this simple black rice dish with coconut milk is most commonly eaten as a sweet snack or for breakfast — it also, however, makes a wonderful end to a meal. Recently available in North America, black glutinous rice is unpolished, so it is quite chewy, like brown rice. Thais make a more tender dish by combining the black rice with white sticky rice. As the rices soak together before steaming, the white rice takes on color from the black to become a beautiful dark purple.

No need to squeeze oranges for this recipe, as the sweetness and body of store — bought juice are key. If you cook the mixture down until most of the liquid is evaporated, you’ll end up with a delicious onion confit rather than a sauce. Either way, we like to serve this with grilled meats and chicken as well as fish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Roasted Potato Slices with Salt Cod Purée and Roasted Red Pepper)