Broil

This common Turkish way of serving eggplants is simple and quite delicious.

This is a popular mezze in every Arab country and a regular companion to falafel. You will always find it in Lebanese and Egyptian restaurants in the West, and even in supermarkets. The smoky flavor of the eggplant and the nutty taste of tahina sharpened by lemon and garlic make a seductive combination.

This is another wonderful Turkish paste which makes a delicious canapé spread.

Quails are part of the mezze tradition. Use your hands to eat them.

These zucchini slices are usually fried but they are just as good grilled. They can be prepared hours before serving, even a day ahead.

This is a mainstay of Turkish kebab houses, where it is often dramatically served in a dish with a dome-shaped copper lid, the type that was once used at the sultan’s palace. I serve it in a large, round, clay dish, which can be warmed in the oven. This is a multilayered extravaganza. There is toasted pita bread at the bottom with tomato sauce poured over. This is topped with yogurt and sprinkled with fried pine nuts. Grilled ground meat kebabs or shish kebab (see above), or both, are laid on top. It requires organization and must be assembled at the last minute as the pita should remain a little crisp. The tomato sauce and meat should be very hot while the yogurt should be at room temperature.

Raki, the Turkish national spirit, gives the grilled sea bass a faint anise aroma. Arak, ouzo, and even Pernod can be used instead. Other fish such as bream, turbot, and red mullet can be prepared in the same way.

In Morocco, men are masters of the fire, in charge of the brochettes, the small kebabs threaded on little wood or metal skewers, which are traditional street food. The ground meat kebabs are deliciously aromatic—full of fresh herbs and spices. The meat is usually pressed around skewers and cooked over dying embers, but it is easier simply to pat the meat into sausage or burger shapes and cook them under the broiler or on a griddle. There should be a good amount of fat (it melts away under the fierce heat), enough to keep the meat moist and soft. Otherwise, work 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil into the paste. Bite-size keftas can be served as appetizers at a party, but en famille burger-size ones, accompanied by a salad, represent a main dish.

Tuna steaks are best seared quickly, leaving the flesh still pink and almost raw inside. The sauce is also good with other grilled or pan-fried fish.

This bright red, creamy purée has an alluring mix of flavors. Serve it as a dip or to accompany fish.

An intensely flavored (but not overpowering) accompaniment for Asian-style dishes, this adds an enticing visual accent to the dinner plate as well.

A wonderful accompaniment to the salad course of a special meal, served on a separate plate. These also make great “meaty” fillers for burger buns with lettuce, tomato, and your favorite condiments.

Served in small side portions, this aromatic preparation complements Asian noodle or rice dishes.

Good Southern corn on the cob (available nearly all year around) served with these tasty kebabs results in a meal recalling outdoor summer barbecues. A sure cure for winter doldrums!

These simple kebabs may become a staple for you if you like grilled foods. In the colder months, they turn out well from the broiler. Serve with corn on the cob, diced fresh tomatoes, and a simple slaw made from shredded cabbage and your favorite vinaigrette.

A contemporary stripped-down fruit dessert that is so unbelievably good, with very few ingredients.

This is a mock broiled eel for that one vegetarian that always shows up. Close your eyes and you won’t know the difference.

Roast the potatoes along with hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, boneless chicken breasts, or any other meat you choose. I use the highest oven setting, and they are done in about 15 minutes. Roast the potatoes in the center of the oven if that’s all you are cooking. You can also roast three pans of potatoes at once, on evenly spaced oven racks if you’re cooking for a crowd. If you are roasting meat, place it on the center or upper rack and roast the potatoes on a lower rack.

I love to grill flank steak outdoors, but sometimes it isn’t possible. The convection oven is a wonderful substitute. If you have a cast-iron grill pan long enough to accommodate a flank steak, place it in the oven when you begin to preheat it. Otherwise, use the roasting pan and rack assembly that comes with your oven. I recommend preheating the oven for at least 10 minutes.

This is definitely a special-occasion meal, but it is so easy to do, and you can “grill” it all year round! I like to use ridged cast-iron grill pans to do everything from hamburgers to tenderloin steaks. I preheat the pan in the oven using the regular bake setting. Once it’s preheated, I set the oven to convection roast or convection broil and use tongs to transfer the meat to the hot grill pan. Turn it over halfway through cooking to get grill marks on both sides. At the same time I bake thick-cut potatoes in a roasting pan on a lower oven rack. Add a simple green salad to the menu and serve with crusty bread.