Quick

This bold, uncomplicated dipping sauce is a perfect match for the sweet-potato and kimchi pancakes .

Sole amandine is a classic preparation for the delicate fish, pairing it with toasty almonds and a lemon butter sauce. Lightly cooked Brussels sprouts add texture.

Cremini mushrooms give added meaty depth to flavorful (yet inexpensive) chicken thighs in a rustic but light ragù.

A Chinese-inspired five-spice blend amps up a simply broiled hanger steak.

Puttanesca is usually a pasta sauce, but here the addition of beans to the spicy blend of tomatoes, basil, and olives turns it into a versatile, satisfying side dish.

Generous handfuls of parsley and mint leaves are left whole, to hold their own alongside sweet ruffles of Bibb and thin slices of cucumber.

An herb paste smeared onto these birds adds a concentrated taste of summer; this works nicely with the poussins, since they're small enough to cook through before the herbs can threaten to burn.

File this one under "secret weapon" and pull it out whenever you need a quick but impressive appetizer. Warming the olives in thyme- and-lemon-zest-infused oil awakens their flavor and transforms a goat-cheese medallion into a sumptuous warm spread for flatbread.

Think of it as a cracker version of rosemary-flecked flatbread. But these are the easiest crackers you'll ever make: Rather than cutting the dough into small pieces, you bake three large pieces, then break them into smaller ones to serve. The jagged edges invite nibbling.

Garlic Herb Bread When buttering the bread, gently spread the slices without pulling them apart.

This recipe is from University of Georgia fan Thomas Lanford Jr., who says: "Satan's Whiskers is in honor of University of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, who most University of Georgia fans believe is Satan incarnate." Ah, the rivalry!

This salad is easy because you begin with store-bought roasted chicken.

Inner radicchio leaves make the best cups.

Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted with permission from Cakes for Kids, by Matthew Mead. You'll need to make two batches of this frosting to create Mead's Host of Ghosts . This frosting is perishable, so make it the day you plan to serve the cake and refrigerate any leftovers after the party. The recipe makes enough frosting to cover the tops and sides of two 8-inch or 9-inch cake layers or one 10-inch tube cake, with some extra.

The idea for this sandwich came to me when my mother and I were about to have bagels and lox for brunch. I wanted a more nutritious spread than cream cheese, and I happened to have on hand a ripe avocado, which is rich in beneficial monosaturated fat and organic minerals. Mashed with a bit of lemon juice, it turned out to be the perfect choice. Its mild, delicate flavor provides the ideal balance for the salty lox, and its smooth creamy texture resembles that of cream cheese. Use whatever bagel you like. A whole-grain one has the best nutrition, but the sandwich will taste better if the bagel is not sweet; often whole-grain bagels also contain honey. The lox-and-avocado combination is also good in a whole wheat pita. Whether you're serving it to break the fast or for brunch, the sandwich is good accompanied by a green salad and a few high-quality olives.

Pronounced "mock shoe," this Louisiana staple (which is like a succotash) is a Cajun take on a Native American dish.

Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted with permission from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food.

You might expect to find smoked duck breast in a sultry, sensual main-course salad like this one, but here we use smoked turkey, which makes it a lot more affordable and a little bit more robust. Both good things.