Fry

Tortillas de Maiz Packaged tortillas are available everywhere, but homemade ones have better flavor and a more tender texture.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

If you're bored with corn on the cob, this is an excellent way to use fresh corn. The fritters alone would also be delicious for breakfast, topped with maple syrup, or as a side dish for a ham dinner.

"The Monaco Hotel in Denver has a restaurant, Panzano, that's so good I went back several times during my stay," says Cindy Maciag of Troy, Michigan. "The ricotta pancakes at breakfast were fantastic."

Hoop cheese is available at Jewish delicatessens and in the refrigerated deli section of some supermarkets.

Good as an entrée or served in smaller portions alongside chicken or beef.

Ouzeries are Greek cafés that specialize in mezedes, or appetizers, as well as in ouzo, the strong, anise-tinged drink after which the cafés are named. Saganaki gets its name from the two-handled pan in which it is made, but it can be prepared in any heavy small skillet. For a final flourish, the cheese is often splashed with ouzo and flamed.

For a heartier sandwich, coarsely chopped avocado can be stirred into the yogurt.

From Jane Butel's cooking school in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Crisp-Fried Beef-Stuffed Corn Tortillas)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The sauce gives the meat a just-grilled flavor.