Garlic

Offer this colorful condiment with assorted grilled vegetables or grilled tuna. It's also great when paired with fried calamari or used in tuna or potato salad.

The extra-virgin olive oil from Countess Lisa-Contini Bonacossi's estate is a favorite of mine and an important element in Lisa 's great cooking. She has an easy going style, changing recipes according to what's in the garden and larder, and is hard to pin down about quantities. Lisa slices her zucchini with an electric meat slicer. I use the 3-mm. blade of my food processor to slice by hand, not with the machine. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A favorite accompaniment is the rice-shaped pasta called orzo.

Lemon juice is an integral part of this classic dish. Choose the smallest clams possible, and make sure not to overcook them.

This recipe was created to accompany Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad with Caesar Dressing .

Remove the skin from the game hens before roasting them to make this delicious main course lower in fat. Uncork a bottle of Chardonnay, and offer steamed yellow and green zucchini alongside.

This slightly spicy side dish is excellent with grilled meat or chicken.

Chicken broth is combined with oil to stir-fry the vegetables.

Cajun flavors—andouille sausage, corn bread, red bell pepper and cayenne pepper—combine in an excellent side dish that brings color and spice to the Thanksgiving table.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This thick and comforting dish is delicious sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

For a different take on onion soup, a traditional beef-broth base is here spiked with beer and fortified with garlic. Rye-bread croutons top this simple soup, which, with the addition of a salad, makes a fine fall supper.

A main-dish salad that's perfect for a casual summer dinner. Using purchased roasted chicken or leftover cooked chicken makes it even easier.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Garlic is a perfect partner for the shellfish in this easy starter. Pass a basket of soda bread to mop all the juices.

Freshly picked greens and herbs are essential to cooking in the Apulia region of Italy. Their assertive, often bitter flavor enriches many a modest dish. Here, a just-cooked tomato sauce is enlivened with the peppery taste of arugula.

Serve the Chunky Tomato and Black Olive Salad and some white wine with this crisp-crusted pizza. A nice ending would be coffee gelato-or regular coffee ice cream-and chocolate biscotti.