Easy

Though inspired by golden cherries from the farmers' market, this pretty salad can be made with any sort of fresh or frozen cherry. Marcona almonds hail from Spain; their toasty, slightly sweet and salty flavor is a great match for the fruit. Toasted whole almonds and a few extra pinches of sea salt can be substituted.

Our dear friends, the Krutchiks, often lavish us with new food discoveries, like Wagyu pastrami—a luxe version of the delicious brined, spiced and smoked deli meat—which they buy at their NYC neighborhood shop, Grace's Marketplace. The richly marbled, melt-in-your-mouth meat inspired this twist on Italy's beloved bread and tomato salad. Use ripe, in-season tomatoes (their sweet juices form part of the dressing), and pick an airy light rye bread over the dark, dense sort; the latter is too chewy for this salad. Wagyu is certainly tasty, but any good pastrami works well here.

This is our version of shichimi togarashi, the spicy Japanese condiment.

Choose baby backs or spareribs, then follow our three simple steps: Season, bake, and grill.

The magic of this easy dessert happens in the fridge as the lemon juice sets the cream into a luscious custard— no eggs or gelatin required.

For a clear liquid, use coarsely ground coffee. (Finely ground beans make for a cloudier drink.)

Five ingredients and five steps will get you to burger heaven.

Classic salad, meet the open-face sandwich. Our version includes garlic-scented toast and a versatile, new-school egg salad made with cottage cheese, parsley, and capers.

With a dish this simple, you need the freshest possible fish—and good technique. Score the flesh down to the bone to encourage even cooking, and be patient when making the first turn: If you oil the grill grate well and give the fish time to cook through, the skin won't stick.

We like vegetarian mains in summer; for a heartier dish, add shredded rotisserie chicken or sliced grilled steak.

A great summer salad requires three things: fresh greens, a tart, seasonal dressing (made here with grated tomato), and a light hand to toss the ingredients together so the lettuces stay perky.

Cooking your own sauce for this classic Italian dish is easy! Make this dish the star of your meal, or divide up into small ramekins to serve as a side dish.

Quiche provides a tasty open-faced pastry crust that can host a variety of ingredients and combinations. This blend of meat, cheese and spinach will be a new favorite.

A Strata is traditionally made with a base of bread and eggs, with other ingredients layered on top. Dress this recipe up with some of our great suggestion.

Eddy was inspired by his Afghan mother-in-law's recipe for firni, traditionally a special-occasion milk pudding with pistachios and cardamom. The subtle rose flavors blend well in this only slightly sweet simple custard with green, red, and white colors. It can be made a day ahead and served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

As much as I like tabbouleh, to me fattoush has more zing—plus it's less time-consuming to make and more adaptable. Here's one version of fattoush you'll encounter all over Lebanon, but in any home or restaurant you'll notice slight variations, depending on the season or the cook's palate. You can either deep-fry or toast the pita croutons that give the salad its special character; the fried bread will taste better, but toasted is, obviously, healthier. When tomatoes are out of season, I like to substitute cherry or grape tomatoes since they're likely to be juicier and more flavorful. If you can find purslane, use it (a cup or two, chopped); it adds authenticity and a nice peppery bite.

Spiced Chickpeas with Yogurt and Crunchy Pita
I love tiss'ye for many of the same reasons I'm fond of eggplant fatteh: It packs a variety of textures and bold flavors into one simple, comfort-food dish—which also happens to look elegant when served at dinner parties. My mother's friend Bushra often makes tiss'ye without frying or toasting the bread, preferring to let the soft pieces of pita absorb the sauces more fully. I like that version, too, but am partial to the crunch that comes from frying or toasting the pita. I’ve had this preparation more often at Beirut homes and restaurants, but experiment with both versions and see which you like more.

You bought the freshest-looking shrimp, baby squid, or whole fish you could find. Now what? Follow Pelaccio's road map for any kind of seafood: Marinate it in turmeric and fish sauce, grill it quickly over high heat, then pair it with a fiery dipping sauce.