Asparagus

This recipe is a great one to impress guests at your next cocktail party (though you'll have to multiply it). It's really quick and simple, yet it looks very decadent and time-consuming. To make the roll-ups extra elegant for entertaining, wrap the roast beef close to the bottom of the spears, then stand them on a platter.

B&O's menu offers everything from juicy steaks to local seafood, but our money's on the brick-oven pizzas (or flatbreads, as they're called at the restaurant). Savor the arugula, asparagus, and fried egg version while taking in the scene at the restaurant's downstairs bar.

Israeli couscous is small, round, toasted pasta with grains about the size of peppercorns. Serve this dish chilled or at room temperature.

Aioli (garlicky mayonnaise) is brightened up with fresh oregano, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Roasting the veggies gives them a soft texture and enhances their natural sweetness.

This is a different sort of frittata, not the neat golden round of well-set eggs that’s probably most familiar. Here the eggs are in the skillet for barely a minute, just long enough to gather in soft, loose folds, filled with morsels of asparagus and shreds of prosciutto. In fact, when I make this frittata or the “dragged” eggs—uova strapazzate, page 143—I leave my eggs still wet and glistening so I can mop up the plate with a crust of country bread. That’s the best part of all.

Quinoa, a grain with a texture like that of couscous, is sold at natural food stores. Serve this side dish with lime wedges.

Pancetta (Italian bacon) is available in the deli section of many markets.

This rich, creamy gratin of beautiful white asparagus wrapped in a cozy blanket is delicious paired with a simple roast chicken. A leafy green salad—tossed with a dressing that has a note of acidity—is the only other accompaniment you need. Alternatively, you can serve this gratin as it is, with some warm bread to mop up the sauce and, perhaps, some finely sliced porcini mushrooms on the side, dressed with no more than beautiful olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.

Rich Vellante, the talented executive chef of Legal Sea Foods restaurants, developed this wonderful recipe during the "Spices of Life" project when we were working with Chef Suresh Vaidyanathan from the Oberoi Hotel group in India.

This recipe is a take on bibimbap, a Korean dish often made up of rice topped with vegetables, sliced meat, a fried egg, and hot sauce. Serve with ice-cold beer.

These individual lasagnas are perfect for a dinner party.

Thinly shaving the asparagus gives the familiar vegetable a new look—and a delicate taste. Because the asparagus is shaved so thinly, there is no need to cook it.

Crudités and dip are party staples. Choose whatever seasonal veggies you like, but mix up the colors. Some veggies, such as carrots and peppers, can be served raw, while others, like zucchini and asparagus, should be blanched but still have a slight crunch. There's nothing sexy about a limp piece of asparagus! And keep the vegetables separate—it makes it easier to refill the platters.

Give everyday chicken cutlets a delicious lift with a tangy-savory combination of fresh tarragon and capers. If you don't have a spice mill, a coffee grinder works, too—just be sure to wipe it out before and after using.

Roast some white asparagus spears, and tell your guests they are the appendages of previous party guests. If this delicate vegetable isn't available in your local grocery store, substitute green or yellow string beans.

During the summer you can grill the asparagus outdoors. The smoky flavor of a wood charcoal fire adds complexity to this substantial meal. While I call for green asparagus, try making the dish with a colorful array of asparagus—green, white, and purple. White miso, which is called shiro-miso in Japanese can be found in health food stores. Smooth rather than grainy miso is preferable for this recipe.