Scallop

You can never go wrong by adding a little crunch to scallops when you sauté them. Usually, you dredge them in flour, cornmeal, or bread crumbs before adding them to the hot pan, and it's something that most everyone seems to like. But you can take that crunch and give it an intense flavor by dredging the scallops directly in a spice mix. Although you can't do this with everything—dried herbs don't get crisp, and some spices are far too strong to use in this quantity—it works perfectly with curry powder, which not only seasons the scallops and their accompanying sauce but gives them the crunch we all crave.

In any coastal region where you find limes, you'll find ceviche, going by one name or another. In Mexico, it's frequently made with a combination of scallops, shrimp, conch, and octopus (the last two usually precooked to the point of tenderness), and those are all good fish for the mix. If you can find spanking-fresh fillets of your local white fish, you can use that here too, although scallops alone are easy and fabulous. If you happen to have a couple of different colors of bell peppers, mix them; it'll make the dish really sparkle.

When I developed this recipe, there were many arguments among the tasters, otherwise known as my friends, about whether or not it was too spicy. Some people liked the kick and others did not. I like it spicy, but if you want less heat, lay off the chiles: use one chile instead of two. Serve the ceviche with tortilla chips for a play on texture. I recommend using aquacultured bay scallops for this dish as they are grown and harvested sustainably. Bay scallops are in season from October to January. It's also perfectly acceptable to buy frozen scallops and defrost them; the dish will be just as successful.

Light and fresh, this pasta dish is brightened with a squeeze of lemon juice. A V-slicer is the ideal tool for thinly slicing the fennel. For an even healthier option, try using whole wheat pasta.

While visiting Lima, Peru, food editor and stylist Paul Grimes, who developed this recipe, ate a dish called "hot ceviche."Inspired by the playful concept, he tried something similar in the test kitchen.

Being the northernmost city in the South, Louisville has a complex blend of relatively unsung ethnicities, one of them being old-world German. The convergence of sauerkraut soup—what families in neighborhoods like Schnitzelburg call home food—and barbecue-rubbed scallops is both quirky and logical in a very Louisville kind of way. The flavor combination is extraordinarily delicious—one taste and you'll understand what Edward Lee is all about. For sources for sumac.

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.

In this impressive main course, sautéed scallops and shrimp are paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the seafood and the side dishes with warm corn or flour tortillas.

In a country known for its fascinating, wide-ranging cuisine, ceviche just may be Peru's national dish. Combinations of sparklingly fresh raw fish marinated in a piquant dressing (often made with ají amarillo and lime juice) are served everywhere, from the lowliest fish shacks to the finest restaurants. For food-safety reasons, we choose to gently poach the scallops, but otherwise, this version, accented by tender sweet-potato cubes, chewy kernels of choclo (a type of Andean corn), and red bell pepper, is entirely classic. Don't forget to drink up the delicious liquid that remains after the ceviche has been eaten. Peruvians prize this leche de tigre as a hangover cure.

This Thai-style seafood curry gets its creaminess from coconut milk and warming, punchy notes from green curry paste.

Yellow miso (also known as shinshu miso) is available in the refrigerated Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Japanese markets. It adds a mellow, salty flavor to this healthful dish. Look for mirin in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Japanese markets.

The terms spring onions and green onions aren't synonymous, but the two vegetables are often interchangeable. Spring onions have a larger, rounder bulb end, and they’re slightly stronger in flavor. Look for them at farmers' markets and specialty foods stores.

A fragrant and exotic dish.

Wake up your taste buds with this lowfat recipe. It is sure to satisfy — and provide a spicy kick!

Quickly braised cabbage adds subtle crunch to scallops infused with a combination of warm, aromatic spices.

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes—with its corn, tomatoes, basil, and unexpected nectarine, it sings out "summer." The first time I made this warm salad, I served it to Michael Newburg and Amelia Hunt, the owners of Falls Brook Organic Farm. Everything was from the market, including the scallops, so Michael and Amelia knew the provenance of every ingredient (including their own basil and tomatoes), which made this delicious dish even better.

Scallops are rich in iodine, essential to a healthy thyroid and metabolism.