Shellfish

To save even more time, buy the peppercorn medley packaged in a pepper grinder in the spice section of the supermarket. Serve with: Curried rice and sautéed snow peas.

Nancy Scott of Cranston, Rhode Island, writes: "I attended a wine tasting festival in Newport a while ago and enjoyed a shrimp ceviche prepared by Andrew Dicataldo, the executive chef of Patria, in New York City. Can you get the recipe?" In this recipe, the shrimp are cooked by quickly boiling them, whereas in a traditional ceviche the seafood, marinated in a spicy mixture of lemon or lemon-lime juice, appears cooked but isn't. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Although bisques tend to be thick and creamy, the following intensely flavorful version is light, with very little cream added.

A sophisticated party dish.

There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

This is lovely paired with Champagne.

This attractive and flavorful main course is perfect for weeknight entertaining.

Thai cooking frequently makes use of cilantro roots; their flavor is more pronounced than that of the leaves.