Food Processor

Fennel pollen, a relatively new spice here in America, is very popular in Italy. It is more subtle and delicate than fennel seeds, and it marries particularly well with pork. If you can't find fennel pollen, substitute freshly ground fennel seeds.

Use one crust to make the pizza here. Chill the extra dough for up to four days or freeze for up to a month.

Chef Michael Skibitcky tweaked this Joan Nathan recipe , deleting the cilantro and adding ground coriander. For an authentic Israeli presentation, load the just-fried balls into pita bread and top them with chopped veggies, pickles, harissa hot sauce, and piquant tahini sauce.

I can't think of a better sandwich to take along to the beach, enjoy next to the pool, or keep on hand in the fridge than these wraps. The combination of olives, goat cheese, frisée, and red pepper reminds me of the Mediterranean Sea, making any summer occasion seem slightly more exotic. Thanks to the durable flour tortillas, which can hold alot of heft and moisture without soaking through and tearing, these sandwiches can be made ahead of time.

This is one of my favorite soups. It has to be served really cold so that you can appreciate the buttermilk and yogurt tang and the sharpness they add to the cucumbers. The Tabasco is optional, but I recommend it to give a little kick at the end; it won't register as spicy, but you'll miss it if it's not there.

"Ingredients are considered 'spices' in Algerian cooking," says Zadi, and this slaw illustrates his point, with olives contributing saltiness, carrots and sun-dried tomatoes adding sweetness, and fennel and parsley lending an incredible freshness. In the dead of winter, when vegetables are scarce, the clean flavors of this salad are as close as you're likely to get to a summertime farmers market.

Don't let the delicate look of these hors d'oeuvres fool you. A touch of cayenne gives them a hint of heat that makes them a tasty accompaniment to a pre-dinner cocktail—or even a cold beer.

Haroseth, a thick condiment of fruit, nuts, and wine, symbolizes the mortar the Israelites used in Egypt. Roberts's particular mix of almonds, pistachios, dates, and dried apricots, reflective of the Middle East, is outstanding (note that we prefer the sweet-tart complexity of California/Pacific apricots to the bland sweetness of Turkish ones). Enjoy leftover haroseth slathered on matzos or crackers; we discovered it's great with Manchego cheese as well.

The perfect date dessert is one that's interactive: Candied strips of orange peel, fresh raspberries, and crisp almond cookies are all flavorful enough to stand up to a silky dark-chocolate fondue spiked with a shot of warming brandy.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Diane Kochilas's book Meze: Small Plates to Savor and Share from the Mediterranean Table. Kochilas also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Kochilas and Greek cuisine, click here. There is this great bustling taverna in one of the northern Athenian suburbs near where we live, and this is the house special, so much so that the chef refused to give me a recipe for it. So, I deconstructed it myself only to re-create it pretty much intact. The tomatoes, cream, and ouzo make a great sauce. You could easily make a quantity and serve it over pasta. It would look and taste good with squid-ink linguine.

The bright flavor helps balance the richness of the other fillings.

It makes a great side dish, but this salad is even better as a pizza topping. Brush the with olive oil, sprinkle it with sea salt and shredded mozzarella, then bake. When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the salad.

Spread the pesto over the dough , then add toppings. Roasted asparagus, well-drained cooked spinach, and crumbled feta would be delicious.

These mouthwatering sandwiches are packed with zesty flavor. Wrap them up and serve at a picnic.

The easiest way to crack the coriander seeds is to put them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and pass over them with a rolling pin. For a great sandwich, split a biscuit and fill it with sliced ham or smoked salmon.

A buttery shortbread with bright lime flavor and a crunchy topping.

You will not regret investing in a set of coeur à la crème dishes, as this is the most captivating of summer desserts, and can be varied all season according to what fruits are available.

Ramps stand in for both basil and garlic in this new spin on pesto.

At his restaurant, Ford's Filling Station, in Culver City, California, Ben Ford says he strives to serve "things that you don't necessarily identify with traditional comfort food but that give all the [same] nourishment." This signature recipe for flatbread—a very thin "pizza" with sweet shrimp, white bean hummus, melted leeks, caramelized onions, and a scattering of sharp cheese—is comforting and satisfying yet anything but bland or conventional.