Make Ahead

Don't like it hot? Remove the seeds to tone it down, or make this addictive condiment with sweet peppers alone.

Heating the sugar before beating it into the egg whites creates an extra-glossy, stable meringue.

Poaching the shrimp with their shells on locks in their flavor.

This marinade packs sweet citrus flavor and extra spice into pork chops both before, and after, they hit the grill.

These cookies would also make for an awesome ice cream sandwich: Skip the pistachio filling and use softened store-bought gelato or ice cream instead.

Once cooked, slick fried chicken with a potent spiced-chile oil, for an extra punch of heat and flavor.

You wouldn't blanch tender herbs such as basil, but doing so here softens the collards and kale.

Upgrade your campfire treats with soft honey-cinnamon cookies slicked with melted chocolate and two toasted, charred marshmallows.

When you think about it, "Pan Bagnat" is just a fancy way of saying "the best of all possible summer sandwiches." Unlike the typical tuna on wheat, this Provençal classic only gets better as sits, making it just the thing for picnics, backyard suppers, and last-minute road trips. And its briny, garlicky flavors beat plain old mayo any day.

If you don't enjoy very rare meat, keep these steaks on the grill until they reach 120°; they'll still be rare, but less aggressively so.

To avoid tearing the skin on the breast or thighs, turn the chickens over by picking them up from the ends of the drumsticks.

These deep, dark brownies, a Lauren family favorite, are from Ricky Lauren's The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History.

These meaty ribs are purposely precooked until very tender but not yet falling off the bone so they don't shred when it's time to grill them.

What you really want to do with this granola is make the be-all, end-all of yogurt parfaits.

These tomatoes are doused in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic before going into the oven. The results are melt-in-your-mouth tomatoes with flavors reminiscent of homemade ketchup. Use it in Charred Romaine Greek Salad With Quinoa-Crusted Feta .

These potatoes steam away in the coals while you grill the rest of your meal. If you're not eating them right away, keep them in their foil pouches and rewarm them on the grill or in a 350°F oven before serving.

You could bake this hunk of meat in an oven, but you'd be missing out on all that smoky flavor you'd be getting from the grill.