Garlic

Fennel Braised with Garlic Many Jews of Ashkenazic descent do not consume legumes during Passover, and, of this group, there are those who consider fennel a legume.

Grilled bread and tomatoes give this salad wonderful toasty flavors, and the chipotle chili adds a touch of smoke.

A simple recipe for an impressive main course. Serve the lamb with the Saffron Couscous and baby carrots. Pour a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Executive chef Keith Luce at Spruce in Chicago is committed to featuring the best local ingredients each season. At this time of year, he often serves grilled chicken or game birds in a pool of uncooked tomato sauce, which takes advantage of the juicy tomatoes that grow so well in the Midwest. As side dishes, Chef Luce suggests grilling a selection of vegetables from the farmers market, such as sweet corn or squash. To complete this splendid late-summer supper, offer scoops of berry sorbet topped with sliced ripe peaches.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We make half of this mac 'n' cheese plain, for kids, and into the other half we stir some chipotle chiles to give it a grown-up kick. Any tubular pasta will do, but we like to use cavatappi, a ridged, spiral macaroni that lends the dish a particularly festive air.

Bucatini al Fuoco, from Basilicata The ingenuity of Basilicata's kitchen is embodied in this simple pasta: three ingredients, easy to come by and inexpensive, are combined to make a formidably tasty sauce. The method of pounding garlic and chili peppers into a paste, then cooking the paste in olive oil, is common to Basilicata and Calabria and elevates the ordinary aglio, olio e peperoncino of central and southern Italy to new heights of piquancy.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Cheddar Shortcakes with Corned Beef Hash.

Serve this beautiful starter with Champagne or sparkling wine.

Jean-Yves Jaulin's Mojhettes au Jambon

"About a year ago, I discovered a new restaurant in town called Babalu's," writes Richard Shipman of St. Louis, Missouri. "It serves terrific Caribbean food, including a flavorful chili-coated salmon."