Pecorino

This innovative take on the classic features an intensely flavored olive and raisin tapenade that is also great teamed with breadsticks or spread onto bruschetta. Crispy egg-bread croutons are also a nice addition

These tender biscuit-like pastries are sprinkled with Greek cheese just before baking.

"A friend of mine insisted I try the red bell pepper bisque at Ristorante Grano in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo," says Lucy Mitchell of Grand Island, New York. "I did, and now I'm hoping to prepare it at home."

Cavolo Arricciato e Sformato Di Porri Although cavolo nero (a.k.a. Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, or dinosaur kale) is what Roman cooks would likely use for this flan, the dish works well with other kale varieties, too.

Culinary archaeologists Susan Lord and Danilo Baroncini named their cookbook Pani Caliatu (available from Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York), for the traditional Aeolian twice-dried bread. For this recipe, the people of the Aeolian Islands use totani (flying squid). The recipe works just as well with squid found in the U.S. Since squid is often sold cleaned and in parts, be sure to get one set of tentacles per squid body to ensure that there will be enough stuffing. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Pecorino cheese brings more bold flavor to this side dish, which is an excellent complement to Broiled Veal Chops with Mixed Peppercorns.

Romanesco cauliflower — with its cone-shaped florets — has a more subtle, nuanced flavor than traditional varieties. The size of Romanesco cauliflower can vary widely, so we call for weight in this recipe rather than number of heads.

A young sheep's-milk cheese such as Italy's ricotta salata or pecorino Romano (which is easier to find) is best for this salad. Other good choices include Italian Toscanello and Manchego from Spain, which are also made from sheep's milk.

This salad was inspired by a couple of dishes our food editors encountered at restaurants in Rome.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Fried Clams .

This delicious rustic omelet's flavors, when it's served at room temperature, are in full flower.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin C and beta-carotene from the squash

These deep-fried dessert pastries, which are sweetened with honey, are known as sebadas.

To make this recipe even easier to prepare, substitute three tablespoons diced canned green chilies for the fresh Anaheim chili.

This dish is said to have first been prepared in the imperial kitchens for Sultan Murad IV in the early 1600s.