Fruit

Travel the world's barbecue trail and you’ll find meat on a stick almost everywhere. South Africa's version goes by the Afrikaans name sosatie. Like all good Cape Malay meat dishes, fruit and curry are never far off—the former (usually apricots) interspersed with the meat on the skewers, the latter used to flavor the marinade and sauce. "Cape Malay," by the way, refers to the descendants of Indonesian and Malaysian slaves and indentured servants brought to Cape Town to work in farming. "There is perhaps no other single dish that can be regarded as more genuinely Afrikaans than sosaties," wrote South African poet and food writer C. Louis Leipoldt. Writing in the 1940s, Leipoldt was to Afrikaans food what James Beard was to our own. Like all great food writers, Leipoldt dispensed not only recipes but the wisdom gleaned from considering cooking a manifestation of culture. The following sosaties are based on Leipoldt's.

The sweet and savory jam is terrific served on grilled baguette slices that are brushed with olive oil and topped with aged goat cheese.

Mojo is a Cuban sauce made from the juice of sour oranges (or, in this case, a mix of orange juice and lime juice). It's truly versatile—the sauce works as a marinade or salsa for beef, fish, pork, and poultry—so no wonder it tastes great with hot dogs, too.

A sprinkling of sweetened coconut tempers the tangy lime filling.

Top these delicious bite-size cheesecakes with fresh raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries.

Leeks and apples simmered in cider add a hint of sweetness—a nice contrast to the sharp melted cheddar. If you can find oblong pretzel rolls at your market, they'll make an ideal accompaniment to these English-style hot dogs.

Make the fruit salad, throw the fish on the grill, and you've got dinner.

Bold North African flavors stand up to even the heartiest of hot dogs. Pile the dogs high with spicy harissa-flavored caramelized onions; a bright, pleasantly bitter preserved-lemon relish; and just a bit of hummus.

See "Prep School" for photos showing how to wrap the fish.

The oat mixture makes a delicious crust for the bottom—and a tasty crumble on top. Lemon perks up the blueberry filling.

This version of the scone is based on the recipe from the Standard Baking Company. Molly tweaked the recipe slightly in her home kitchen. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before folding into the batter.

Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, and cava, a Spanish sparkler, both work well in this pink drink, which is as pretty as it is refreshing.

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.

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.