Quick

These zucchini fritters are the perfect way to start the meal. Serve the keftedes, grape leaves , octopus , and feta and olives as mezedes (appetizers).

Fresh herbs abound here—as does niacin, an energizing B vitamin: One serving of salmon dishes up nearly 70 percent of your daily niacin needs.

We swapped salmon for the crab in these tasty cakes. Sauteéing provides the same crispy texture as deep-frying but with less saturated fat.

Thai red curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk, and fish sauce are available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets. Serve this curry over steamed jasmine rice.

Crunchy and colorful, this is an ideal first-course salad. Be sure to grate the peel from the tangerines before cutting the fruit into slices.

Not all cream sauces are super-rich. This pasta gets its creamy sauce from a combination of part-skim ricotta and pasta water, which come together to make a really easy, lighter cream sauce. Don’t leave out the lemon zest; it brightens the flavor and adds a wonderful lemony aroma as well.

Kale goes by another name, one much more dashing, especially in Italian. Cavolo Nero, black cabbage, may not evoke superhero status, but it's close. Kale does seem invincible and it's known to make the eater more so, too. It's also called dinosaur kale (also called lacinato), maybe because its leaves look like the back of a lizard. Those thin knobby leaves squeak. Do not confuse cavolo, accent on the first syllable, with cavallo, accent on the second, or you'll be ordering black horse, and in certain parts of the world will find it. Hearty and good for the spirit. I like soaked and cooked cannellini better than canned ones.

This dish is exceptionally easy to make and worth every second. That said, there is one thing to note: Be careful when checking the chicken for doneness. The tomatoes will likely drip into the chicken. If you cut into the chicken or poke it with a fork to test for doneness, be sure it’s not the liquid from the tomatoes making the chicken look pink even if it’s not.

The defining aspect of Swedish pancakes is their superthin size. Make these small for a sweet Sunday morning treat. Berries appear often in Swedish food, both fresh, as atop these pancakes, and in sauces for savory dishes.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. He recommends serving this guacamole with his Carnitas or Carne Adobada Tacos . Before you start gobbling delicate corn tortillas topped with salty, tasty meat in the taquerias of central Mexico, you get to crown your snack with your choice of several salsas, often including what might be my favorite taco condiment of all: guacamole taquero. Blurring the line between guacamole and salsa, this smooth blend of creamy avocado and tart tomatillos packs a spicy punch from serrano chiles and a hint of pungent epazote (many cooks add cilantro instead and so can you). I'll put this on just about any imaginable taco, but it's especially amazing spooned over those filled with Carnitas ,Steak , and grilled cactus.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. He recommends serving this salsa with his <epi:recipelink id="364389">Carnitas or <epi:recipelink id="364409">Carne Adobada Tacos.</epi:recipelink></epi:recipelink> Pineapple's bright sweet-tart flavor becomes sweeter and more complex as the sugars caramelize on the grill or under the broiler. Like most fruit salsas, a high heat level—thank you, habaneros—keeps all that beautiful sweetness in check. This salsa brings to mind tacos al pastor—the amazing taqueria specialty of pork roasting on a vertical spit with a piece of pineapple on top, dripping its juices onto the charred meat—so I often serve it with roast pork or Carnitas, but it also goes great with grilled fish or shrimp. I thank my dear friend, the wonderful chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, Sergio Remolina for inspiring this recipe. Cheers, Sergio!

A nice thick bone in steak is our favorite kind of splurge. Uncle Bubba loves to gnaw on a steak bone, so we came up with this simple recipe for steak rubbed with brown sugar and spices especially for him. Rib eye is Bubba's favorite cut, but you use this rub on your favorite cut, too. It's also great on grilled chicken.

An omelet can be as delicious plain as filled with an almost endless array of cooked vegetables, cheeses, herbs, smoked meats, fish, and more. Look in your refrigerator and utilize leftovers such as grilled asparagus, cooked broccoli, or spinach. I always garnish the omelet with a sauce, salsa, or herb that complements the filling.

Micheladas are popular beer cocktails south of the border, and when you have one on a sweltering hot day, it's easy to see why. The flavors of a Bloody Mary, jazzed up with the oh-so-refreshing bubbles only a cold beer can provide, plus a bright squeeze of citrus to boot? Yeah, I'll be in my hammock if anybody needs me.

For an easy dinner party, round this out with orzo on the side, a green salad, and a light Italian red wine like Dolcetto. Finish with sorbet and chopped dark chocolate.

The islands are big—both on TV and in cover girl Brooklyn Decker's pic Just Go With It. Take a blissful insta-vacation with this libation from Lu Lu's Waikiki in Honolulu.—Ashley Mateo