Keto

Mole, a classic Mexican chili sauce, gets streamlined here. Chipotle chilies (available canned at Latin American markets and many supermarkets) add heat, while unsweetened chocolate provides subtle sweetness. Serve the stew in shallow bowls with steamed rice. Add an arugula, orange, and red onion salad and a basket of warm corn tortillas. For dessert, offer cinnamon-spiked hot chocolate and wafer cookies.

For this recipe, Lisa uses broccoli rabe, a type of bitter Italian green. But the everyday supermarket broccoli works fine, too.

Pecorino cheese brings more bold flavor to this side dish, which is an excellent complement to Broiled Veal Chops with Mixed Peppercorns.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

For this simple—yet boldly flavored—entrée, tuna or sea bass can be substituted. Chilies in the sauce add nice heat.

We like these shrimp with corn on the cob, crusty bread, and a salad of summery greens. For dessert, offer a strawberry tart.

Begin the meal with toasted baguette rounds topped with sautéed wild mushrooms. Marinate the chicken three to six hours before cooking. what to drink: A crisp, fresh white wine, such as a California Sauvignon Blanc.

This technique works best with a charcoal grill, but you can also use a gas grill as long as it has a built-in thermometer or a hole in the top for inserting the candy thermometer.

Mimosa in Los Angeles uses coconut milk in this version of a Breton classic.

This is enough sauce for two pounds of pasta; it's good with fusilli, orecchiette or linguine.

Serve with: Steamed new potatoes and mixed green salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Dessert: A lemon tart from the bakery.

Serve these mussels with a frisée salad dressed with red wine vinaigrette. Add french fries, plus a baguette for sopping up the sauce. Lemon tart would be good for dessert. See how to clean mussels.

In Rome, this is a typical way of preparing bitter greens. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

When choosing a steak, look for meat with good marbling (fat that runs throughout). This keeps the meat from shrinking and drying as it cooks.

At Emeril's, in New Orleans, Emeril Lagasse prefers sirloin steaks for this.