Seafood

Colorful salsas and relishes made with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs became popular in this decade of diets. The toppings are light and fresh and packed with flavor-just right with grilled low-fat fish.

Complete the menu with a salad of romaine, fresh dill and a lemon vinaigrette. St. George — a slightly spicy dry red wine from Greek vintner George Skouras — is nice with the fish; Pinot Noir would also work well.

At Canyon Ranch, the ahi is sometimes seared on the grill. We've opted for pan-searing, given the winter weather.

Accompanied by Champagne, this beautiful and delicious appetizer starts the meal on a sophisticated note.

Pretty, sophisticated, and easy to eat.

"Caribbean food has become a real favorite of mine," writes Cindy M. Wright of Tarzana, California. "I just love the flavors of this spicy cuisine. One of the best places in my area is Cha Cha Cha in Encino. I've enjoyed everything I've had there, but I especially like the shrimp and rice dish called camarones negros."

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

The salty nut topping provides a nice contrast to the sweet mashed turnips.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

To make this recipe even easier, prepare the toast points two hours ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Fish Cakes with Caper-Parsley Sauce This versatile sauce, which can be made one day ahead, also complements roast beef, hard-boiled eggs or potato salad.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Dijon mustard and lemon peel give the dressing lots of zip. This salad can also be spooned into pita halves.

Fresh mint, cilantro sprigs and strips of orange peel make a nice garnish for a platter of these Asian-accented skewers.

Tuna would also work well in this recipe. Use a combination of black and white sesame seeds for dramatic contrast. Don't forget to provide a bowl for the toothpicks.

Cooking the sea bass in parchment paper is a great technique — it keeps the pistachio topping in place and allows you to brown both the fish and the topping in the skillet (the parchment becomes translucent so you can see the browning. Since Gras is on the West Coast, he likes to use Dungeness crab when he makes this dish. We've substituted jumbo lump crabmeat because it's available year round nationwide.

This dish combines aroma and flavor in a unique fashion: Bowls of steaming rosemary vapor accompany the luxurious main course. The piney fragrance of fresh rosemary adds another dimension to the taste experience.