Broil

A fitting way to celebrate the arrival of plum season. Figs, peaches, and hulled strawberries can also be broiled in this manner.

Fish cakes make festive party fare. They're especially good when complemented with a cool, colorful and crunchy cucumber, radish and cilantro salsa.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This hors d'oeuvre is as simple as it is flavorful, and it's especially good in the summertime, when the best fresh tomatoes are available. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Canned chicken soup with a bit of oregano and lemon juice, accompanied by warm pita bread, starts the meal with the proper Greek flavors. Purchased baklava and strong coffee splashed with ouzo conclude the dinner in a spirited way.

Try packaged Asian rice mix (or steamed white rice), and tomato and cucumber salad sprinkled with seasoned rice vinegar. To end, spoon sliced fruits over mango sorbet. Look for the horseradish paste in the Asian foods section or next to the packaged sushi.

Using a pastry bag to pipe the hummus onto the pita toasts saved us a lot of time (and made for nice-looking hors d'oeuvres). You can make your own pastry bag with a heavy-duty plastic bag. Just spoon the hummus into the bag and squeeze it into one corner. Then snip off the corner to make a small hole and begin piping.

Excellent with crackers, on crusty country bread or served as a dip with crudités.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

Two favorite fall fruits turn up in an interesting, herb-scented side dish.

This recipe was created to accompany <epi:recipelink id="14144">Camarones Adobados a La Parrilla (Grilled Shrimp with Ancho Pasilla Sauce).</epi:recipelink> Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Wrapping the fish in foil enhances its flavor and keeps it extremely moist. In summer, it can be cooked outdoors on the grill.