Fish

The first time my Nantucket Island friends Nigel Dyche and Sarah Chase made this for me, I was incredulous at how fabulous it was, yet so simple. The fish tastes of the sea and the smoke from the grill with no extraneous flavors to mask the ocean-fresh steaks. The mayonnaise coats the thick pieces of fish, keeping them moist inside and promoting a golden caramelized color on the outside. Nantucket Islanders use this recipe mostly for swordfish, and it is one of their favorite summer meals, especially when paired with thick slices of ruby-red garden tomatoes.

We prefer Nova salmon for this particular recipe because it's the mildest and least salty. Although Nova has become a general term for smoked salmon, it really describes the delicacy made from fish descended from wild Nova Scotia salmon.

Annuska Angulo Rivero of Mexico City, Mexico, writes: "This recipe was originally for besugo, a fish popular in Bilbao but not easily found in Mexico. I use red snapper instead. Be sure to eat this with lots of good bread to mop up the sauce. Using a fruity olive oil makes this dish incredibly flavorful.

The ginger sauce is a good staple to keep on hand in the fridge — it's excellent with any fish, whether grilled, pan-seared, or steamed. Serve rice on the side, if you like.

Alexis Watson of Irvine, California, writes: "You could say I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to cooking. Often I'll take a particular recipe and spend months perfecting it, as I've done with the Caesar salad here. My wife wanted an easy do-ahead dressing that was creamy but didn't use egg yolks. Now we make this salad several times a week, so it was certainly well worth the effort."

Mahimahi is on of Hawaii's most popular fish; firm-fleshed and mild-flavored, it can be cooked in almost any manner and cloaked in almost any sauce. I like the flavor of citrus with mahimahi, enhanced by some spicy peppercorns. Sweet bananas, a hint of coconut, and macadamia nuts add to the tropical flavors in this light dish.

VLC (Very Low Carb)
5.5 grams Carbs that Count Peperonata is a yielding compote of colorful peppers that stew in extra-virgin olive oil and their own sweet juices. Terrific served warm atop juicy swordfish, it is also delicious at room temperature or chilled.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course after you set aside one third of the fish (see cooks' note, below) to make the capellini with salmon and lemon-dill-vodka sauce. Otherwise, it serves 6.

Merluza en Salsa Verde Steaks work best for this recipe, but you can substitute fillets with skin. Slowly cooking the fish over low heat while swirling the pot releases the gelatin in the skin and bones, which emulsifies the sauce.

Food Editor: Shelley Wiseman
Father: John Wiseman, Somerset, England
When my father and stepmother moved from Mexico to England, my father started to help with the cooking. The first thing he learned to make was this Caesar salad.

The fig leaves are not really for eating. They keep the fish juicy while it cooks and make it smell like coconut. You can cook these in the oven or on a grill.

Turbot or sole would also be delicious in this crispy fish dish.

Begin any informal dinner party with these fun Roman-style crostini.

Anchovy and red pepper flakes balance the bitterness of the escarole, giving it a sweetness that goes well with the robust flavors of the Veal Involtini.