Fish

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Skate is a firm, white, sweet fish. Quite common on the East Coast, it's now more readily available in the West.

After he went on the Blue Voyage, Boston chef Chris Schlesinger came up with the idea for this recipe, which brings together many of the characteristic flavors of Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Halibut works best, but you can use any mild, firm-fleshed white fish.

Inspired by croquettes, these brightly spiced fish cakes will transport you to sunnier shores. The recipe takes advantage of the large flake and meatiness of hake to give crab cakes a run for their money.

Salty, sweet, and tangy, the onion and pickle butter stands up beautifully to the rich oiliness of mackerel. Aside from their distinctive taste, the fish fillets have the bonus of broiling in just minutes.

Encebollado de pescado This hearty stew combines simplicity with deep, distinct flavors.

Wrapping salmon fillets in crespelle (crêpelike pasta) infused with fresh tarragon brings a mild herbal flavor to the fish and keeps the fillets moist. A lemon sauce adds another layer of sophistication.

Corkscrew pasta gets a wake-up call with the unexpected übercrunch of toasted panko and a salty jolt from anchovies.

Traditional papillote takes time and requires origami-like folding. Here, we use foil to make a no-mess pouch; the fish becomes infused with the flavors of tomato, capers, garlic, and lemon.

Nori, or sushi paper, can be found in Asian markets and health food stores.

Editor's note: This recipe was created by Erika Lenkert, author of the book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining. For Lenkert's tips on throwing a last-minute New Year's Eve party, click here. When it comes to entertaining I'm a selective cheapskate. I thrive on figuring out how to get the most bang out of minimal bucks for things like decor, so that I can splurge on a few fantastic ingredients, like high-quality American caviar for this dish. When throwing a party I love doing something really easy that looks and tastes fabulous. This is one such example — a hearty scoop of American caviar atop a bite of petite potato salad inside a shot or martini glass. If using shot glasses, serve it with mini plastic spoons, which can be found at ice cream stores. For martini glasses, go with teaspoons or demitasse spoons.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Erika Lenkert's book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining Add a little yummy-sexy luxury to your cocktail party by serving this velvety salmon spread, which is ridiculously simple to make and perfectly paired with baguette slices and people you enjoy.