Broil

Look for sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Also great with salmon or mahi-mahi. Rewarm the mashed potatoes in the microwave before using them in this recipe, adding more warm milk as needed if they are too thick.

In this very simple recipe, the spices, mint, garlic, and oil form a crust that helps seal in the lamb's juices. Sautéed carrots and roasted potatoes would be nice on the side.

The chive butter is a breeze to make, and it works overtime: First it's used to baste the shrimp, later it becomes the sauce.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Seduced by Bacon. To read more about the book, click here. These salmon fillets are a great main course when you want something special and don't have a lot of time. They are super-easy and quick to make as well as delicious. . . . There are some fine ready-made sauces, called Chinese barbecue sauce, in Asian markets and even on supermarket shelves.

This layered salad is definitely stacked: Michael Taus, executive chef and owner of Zealous restaurant in Chicago, has piled in all the vitamins C and B12 you need for the day, as well as 50 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A.

This creation from Salvatore Marino, chef at Il Grano in Los Angeles, is the perfect finger food: tasty and healthy.

Bacon and scallops always pair beautifully, but it's the mixture of sugar and spice that transforms these easy-to-make hors d'oeuvres.

When the weather warms up, these can be grilled, as they do at Spice Market. Look for the skewers in the kitchenware aisle.

It's amazing how much buttery goodness is packed into the craggy holes of these little nibbles. Their crunchy texture makes them ideal for dipping into soft-cooked egg yolks.

With just the right balance of sweetness from the pomegranate juice and sour notes from the sumac, this layering of flavors accomplishes the enviable task of enhancing the flavor of the steak without overpowering it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Kitchen Sense: More Than 600 Recipes to Make You a Great Home Cook. To read more about the book, click here. The strong Mediterranean flavors in this satisfying sandwich were jointly inspired by a trip to Tunisia and my frequent visits to the original 'wichcraft sandwich shop in New York City.

If you can't find green garlic, just blanch a regular garlic clove in boiling water for two minutes to soften its bite.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites. To read more about the book, click here. When people travel to Maine they want to eat lobster, and this sandwich — created by chef Cheryl Lewis — has become the number-one-selling dish at the Stonewall Kitchen Café. You can prepare the basil aïoli, the lobster salad, and the bacon up to 8 hours ahead of time and assemble the sandwiches at the very last minute. On a hot summer day or night, this sandwich makes an elegant and easy main course, accompanied by tangy coleslaw or potato salad. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. This recipe makes two very generous sandwiches; you will easily have enough for three to four more modest sandwiches.

Splashes of lemon add a bright note to this simple chicken dish seasoned in the Provençal tradition with rosemary and garlic.

A fresh summer catch from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, bluefish has a rich, fine-textured flesh that makes it perfect for baking, broiling, or grilling.

Straight anchovy butter can be intense (indeed, we've given a range on the anchovies, so salt fiends can indulge), but the toasted, ground fennel seeds make these crunchy hors d'oeuvres taste clean, not heavy. Roasted red peppers add a burst of juicy sweetness and a hint of smokiness.

Charlotte Fekete of Athens, Georgia writes: "I'm a junior in college, and I'm planning to go to cooking school after graduation. I've already had some experience decorating cakes and working for a caterer, but it was my mom who taught me how to cook. I've also learned a lot from reading magazines and cookbooks." Charlotte's mother learned this recipe years ago, when she was working on a shrimp boat.