Garlic

The garlicky herb butter is similar to the butter served with escargots in southwestern France. IMPROV: When preparing the butter, try a shallot instead of garlic, and thyme instead of parsley.

IMPROV: Substitute red oak leaf lettuce (available at farmers' markets and natural foods stores) or red romaine for the red leaf lettuce. Make the croutons with Asiago or Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.

Greek cuisine is famed for its appetizer dips — no meze party would be complete without at least one.

Fatty pork is the standout ingredient in these crisp spring rolls; it adds intense flavor and a tender texture to the crab and vegetable filling. Fresh ginger and a generous amount of cilantro add kick.

The citrusy dressing makes this dish a standout, and there's plenty extra to be sopped up with rice or crusty bread. Cooking shrimp in their shells keeps them juicy and tender. It all makes for casual finger food that requires plenty of napkins — which is part of the fun.

Roasting the garlic mellows the flavor, which results in an aioli that is less pungent than traditional ones. Besides enhancing the taste of Cornish hens, this makes a perfect accompaniment to vegetables, lamb, and fish, and it's great as a dip.

Pleasantly pungent with a touch of heat, this classic spring roll sauce also works well with the chicken satés.

China The most challenging part of this recipe is cutting the pork into thin shreds; freeze the meat for 30 or even 60 minutes first, which will make it easier.... (If you want to serve rice with this, which you should, cook it beforehand and keep it warm.) Don't mince the garlic; you want its flavor to be strong in this dish. Serve this with white rice.

(Feijão Verde com Coentro e Alho) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Jean Anderson's book The Food of Portugal. Anderson also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Anderson and Portuguese cuisine, click here. There's a reason for adding the lemon juice and vinegar to the green beans after they've marinated. If you mix these acids in too soon, the beans will turn an unappetizing shade of brown.

The way most people make Italian sausage and peppers is to smother the sausage in lots of sautéed peppers. It's good, but I expand on the theme with plump, juicy tomatoes and a big handful of basil. And turkey sausage adds a healthy twist to this traditional dish. Try it spooned over pasta for a truly Italian experience.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here

Our appreciation of peri-peri prawns comes from Mozambique, where these shellfish are cooked in the traditional Portuguese style.

A healthier fish stick (the secret is in the skewer!)
Feeling Zen at Tao, the trendy Asian eatery in New York City, is a major challenge — even with the center-stage 16-foot Buddha. The movie theater turned hot spot packs in hundreds of diners each night (and it's a favorite of P. Diddy and the New York Giants). But executive chef Sam Hazen's miso-marinated sea bass satay may be as close to inner peace as you can get while you're sitting at a dinner table. And let us enlighten you: This delectable lowfat dish is packed with protein, vitamin A and folate.

Jerry Traunfeld, author of The Herbfarm Cookbook (Scribner), says, "Vegetables that are very fresh and picked at the perfect time are delicious cooked very simply. Just boil or steam them and serve with a little butter and maybe a sprinkling of tarragon, chervil or basil." Or savory, or oregano, as in this recipe.

Want to feel alert and energized? Repeat after us: protein, protein, protein. Here's a way to get lots of it, with very little saturated fat. (For an equally high-energy vegetarian version of this dish, substitute 12 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut in 1-inch cubes, for the shrimp.)

This hearty — and heart-healthy — pasta comes together in a flash. Mangia! Puttanesca may sound like an Italian specialty to slave over, but don't be intimidated — you can make this sauce in minutes. Michael Collins, chef and co-owner of the Green Emporium in Colrain, Massachusetts, designed this dish, which marries old-world flavor with modern-day convenience. Its healthy ingredients — lycopene-loaded tomatoes, heart-smart olive oil, exotic olives, and capers — are as easy to keep on hand as that emergency jar of sauce.

Plain old pasta goes low-fat gourmet. Creamy pasta, good-for-you greens... What's wrong with this picture? Nothing! It's a weeknight-easy, flavor-packed treat from Alfred Portale, chef at New York City's famed Gotham Bar and Grill and author of the new Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook (Broadway Books). Make this low-fat dish even healthier by using reduced-fat goat cheese, which we think is one of the best-tasting slimmed-down cheeses around.