Garlic

Offer your favorite corn bread along with the kebabs and salads.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Like the tarte Tatin, that famous French upside-down apple dessert created by the Tatin sisters, these savory stacks have a crispy top crust that ultimately becomes the bottom-perfect for sopping up the unctuous tomato juices and pesto. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. From northeastern Thailand, som tai is a salad Thais and farangs-the Thai name for foreigners-have come to love. It is traditionally made with grated green (unripe) papaya that is pounded slightly to soften the fibers before being tossed with lime juice, dried shrimp, and chilies. As the availability of green papaya in the United States is limited, we used cucumber and carrot. We also left out the dried shrimp in order to create a more delicate but still delicious dish.

Here's an easy but impressive dish from the Admiral's Inn in St. John's Antigua. When ordering the whole snapper from the fish market, have them clean and scale it. If you cannot find whole red snapper, use fillets and bake them about 25 minutes.

This starter gets a double dose of cayenne — in the cornmeal coating for the shrimp and in the garlicky mayonnaise dip.

The perfect accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken or meat. Try cooked bell peppers, mushrooms and onions over the coals, too.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.