Shellfish

The cornmeal-crusted shrimp are a crunchy contrast to the creamy risotto.

In Spanish, escabeche refers to placing already cooked seafood into a marinade—a pickling of sorts—but this subtle shrimp salad is gentler than anything you might expect from the term pickled. Complemented by silky thin-sliced onions, the shrimp get their tender-firm texture from slow-poaching followed by marinating.

This fresh-tasting Cuban dish attests to the terrific quality of canned octopus that is now widely available. However, if you can't find octopus, feel free to substitute two cans of tuna packed in olive oil.

Flameado! Igniting the tequila in the skillet not only impresses onlookers—it also burns off the alcohol, leaving behind nothing but the spirit's famous bite.

Juicy scallops are rich in selenium, a mineral that protects cells from disease-causing damage in the body.

This fragrant dish has a wonderful blend of spices and goes well with steamed basmati rice.

If Oxhearts aren't available, try Pineapple tomatoes; instead of Cherokees, use Rose de Berne. Go for color contrast.

Food lovers on America's coasts have long known that crab cakes make wonderful sandwiches. Here, tender lumps of sweet crab are seasoned (in the manner of traditional Louisiana deviled crabs) and lightly bound with egg and bread crumbs, then panfried until the cakes have a golden crust. A thin layer of tangy tartar sauce and crisp lettuce is all the accompaniment they need.

You could hardly do better in summer than to combine shellfish and tomatoes—their balance of sweet and savory seems to bring out the best in both. Here, the seafood retains its succulence, while its juices combine with the vinaigrette; you'll want to sop up the excess with bread, or at least eat it with a spoon.

Just what we want on a sultry evening—tender shrimp and creamy beans are the mouthwatering core of this cool salad sparked with a lemony vinaigrette.

Full of sweet corn, smoky bacon, and delightfully briny clams, this light summer chowder is like having a whole New England clambake in a bowl.

For extra crunch, add a few strips of cucumber or bell pepper before rolling these up.

Order scallop baking shells from surfasonline.com or call 866-799-4770.

Why you'll make it: Because it's as good as a lobster roll in a simpler-to-make easier-on- the-budget package.

Just saying the words "Dungeness crab" creates a sense of place. Its juiciness and depth of flavor is the secret to this salad because it strikes a perfect balance with the sweet-tart dressing. Don't substitute Atlantic blue crab here; its delicacy won't work to the salad's advantage.