Cucumber

The herbed butter in the center of the burger adds great flavor and tons of moisture and is a good-time, exploding centerpiece to this fast and simple meal.

I use this recipe (more like a method, really) as a standard party offering, and it’s one of my all-time favorite snackers. I eat mine with flatbread, but it’s good to spread these combinations on sliced seedless cucumbers, too.

Sweet and salty food . . . I can eat it at the same time? I’m there. How about you?

I love sandwiches because they are one-stop shopping: meat, salad, and cheese, all stuffed into bread. Oooooh-la-la, this is one fancy French grinder. Vive la Hoagie.

Do you have trouble making up your mind? How does this sound: grilled meat, salad, take-out Thai food, and pizza, all in one meal? There are no special ingredients required; you can get them all in the regular market and have this pizza on the table in less time than it would take the delivery man to get to your door.

The English have nothing on this fish! Serve with store-bought frozen waffle-cut fries, prepared to package directions, and oil-and-vinegar-dressed slaw. Also, try skipping the tartar sauce one time and serve with malt vinegar instead—it takes even less time and effort and tastes great!

This recipe is an ode to my friend Leslie Orlandini’s Cider Vinegar Chicken, which I have only heard tell about. Hey, Les! You get an ode and I’m still sittin’ over here, hunched over my computer, open-mouthed, waiting for a taste of the real deal! HINT!