Fruit

The beauty of plums becomes all the more evident when they are displayed in a galette. Accompanied by sweetened Armagnac crème fraîche, this one makes a wonderfully sophisticated dessert.

Made in Mexico: This dish, created by food editor Shelley Wiseman's friend Aurelia, will start your day with a cayenne kick. It also doubles as a sweet and spicy dessert.

Steamed quinoa has an unbelievably light and fluffy texture. If you can get fresh-picked corn, you can add it to the salad raw—even without cooking, the kernels will be sweet and tender.

Lightly blanched squid makes a simple and elegant salad with the tang of fish sauce and fresh lime juice.

This is the ideal way to prepare young chickens, since there are two safeguards against their drying out (always a risk with small birds). The herbed butter slipped beneath the skin melts, basting and flavoring the meat as it cooks; the gentle, indirect heat lightly chars the skin without toughening the meat. As a result, every bite is juicy and perfectly seasoned.

Find a good-quality jerk paste, and it's like Caribbean magic—you can make a complete island meal in a flash.

Pesce al coriandolo in salsa di aceto
The alluring scents of coriander seeds and a whole handful of bay leaves perfume the fresh, flavorful flesh of bluefish.

Splashes of lemon add a bright note to this simple chicken dish seasoned in the Provençal tradition with rosemary and garlic.

Straight anchovy butter can be intense (indeed, we've given a range on the anchovies, so salt fiends can indulge), but the toasted, ground fennel seeds make these crunchy hors d'oeuvres taste clean, not heavy. Roasted red peppers add a burst of juicy sweetness and a hint of smokiness.

For easy serving, ladle the soup into pretty bowls, and set them on the buffet table.

Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese sold at many supermarkets and Italian markets.

Using roast chicken from the grocery store makes this recipe super-easy. Improv: Add sweet and crunchy accents by mixing a few chopped toasted pecans and some dried cranberries into the chicken salad. Instead of rolls, use crusty French bread or thick slices of sourdough bread.

Charlotte Fekete of Athens, Georgia writes: "I'm a junior in college, and I'm planning to go to cooking school after graduation. I've already had some experience decorating cakes and working for a caterer, but it was my mom who taught me how to cook. I've also learned a lot from reading magazines and cookbooks." Charlotte's mother learned this recipe years ago, when she was working on a shrimp boat.

Self-crowned "BBQ Queens" Karen Adler and Judith Fertig have written more than 20 cookbooks between the two of them, including Weeknight Grilling with the BBQ Queens. Their tuna burger is infused with Mediterranean flavor and topped with a favorite New Orleans sauce.

For a more substantial meal, the salad can be served on pumpernickel bread or toasted French bread as an open-face sandwich and topped with slices of hard-boiled egg. Garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs.

Charlotte Fekete of Athens, Georgia writes: "I'm a junior in college, and I'm planning to go to cooking school after graduation. I've already had some experience decorating cakes and working for a caterer, but it was my mom who taught me how to cook. I've also learned a lot from reading magazines and cookbooks." Marinating the vegetables gives them a lively pickled flavor.