Bon Appétit

Accompany this salad version of a BLT sandwich with grilled bread.

This is terrific on grilled baguette slices, sprinkled with feta or fresh goat cheese. Or try it as a topping for grilled fish or chicken.

Try this deliciously smoky side dish with grilled lamb chops.

Fresh and colorful, this vegetarian entrée is an ideal bring-along for a potluck supper. Quinoa, a delicate grain with a texture similar to that of couscous, cooks up in just 15 minutes. A complete protein, it's also nutritious. Look for it at supermarkets and natural foods stores. Smoked paprika can be found in the spice section of the supermarket.

Halloumi, a firm, mild cheese from Cyprus, is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Greek markets.

Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the tart liquid found in the center of young coconuts.

Fresh mint and lime juice add a bright finish to this drink.

Frozen açai puree is available in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

Fresh ginger gives this a zesty kick.

The heat of poblano chiles can vary dramatically. Season to taste by adjusting the amount of crushed red pepper before adding the clams.

A press-in crust makes this party-worthy dessert easy to put together. For a pretty presentation, don't cover the lime curd completely with berries. The contrast between the dark berries and the bright lime curd is striking.

Sauce verte is French for "green sauce." In this recipe, the sauce gets its vibrant color from basil, green onion, parsley, and capers. Any leftover sauce can be stirred into couscous or rice, or served with grilled chicken or fish.

Panna cotta is an Italian custard dessert. It's similar to pudding but is thickened with gelatin instead of egg yolks. This version is a velvety almond custard topped with fresh cherries and a candied almond garnish.

At 1105, a bar in Copenhagen, juniper-inflected gin is paired with caraway-flavored aquavit, Scandinavia's traditional eau-de-vie.

Tender chocolate cake is layered with raspberry jam and rich chocolate ganache (a mixture of melted chocolate and whipping cream) in this great dessert. Fresh raspberries make a pretty and easy topping.

Dulce de leche, a rich caramel sauce popular in Latin countries, flavors the filling and also serves as a soft glaze for the bars. A sprinkling of sea salt turns this dessert into a craveable salty-sweet treat.

All-American strawberry shortcake goes modern with a hit of balsamic vinegar and a dash of black pepper. Making the biscuits square instead of round is quicker and easier than using a biscuit cutter. Plus, you won’t have to reroll the dough, which can make the biscuits tough.

A V-slicer or mandoline is the perfect tool for thinly slicing the fennel. The fresh apricots add a nice sweetness to the salad, but feel free to skip them if they're not available in your area.