Grilling

Adapted from a recipe by Chef Robert McGrath of Windows on the Green, Phoenix, Arizona.

A lovely salad in which the citrus fruit strikes a nice balance with the fish.

(Thai Grilled Chicken) For connoisseurs of grilled chicken, Thailand is paradise: Gai yang is a common street food and restaurant specialty. Each region has its own cooking methods, though most recipes begin by briefly marinating pieces of chicken, the bone still in, with the traditional Thai seasonings of black pepper, garlic, coriander root, and fish sauce. In this recipe coconut milk is added to the marinade, making the chicken especially succulent and flavorful. Because coriander root is called for in many classic Thai recipes, buy coriander with the roots on; when finished with the sprigs, wash the roots, wrap them in foil, and keep them in the freezer.

This simplified version of a classic party dish will add some welcome heat to a winter night.

Set out black beans, rice, lettuce, salsa and hot flour tortillas to go with the chicken.

This recipe is needed to prepare Minted Lamb and Sugar Snap Pea Salad .

Be sure to brush the grill clean while it's hot before adding the fruit.

This recipe makes more charmoula — a Moroccan herb and spice paste — than you'll need. You can use the leftover to rub on chicken or salmon before grilling. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Usually made of mashed potatoes, garlic and olive oil, skordalia is a thick sauce served with meats, fish, fritters or greens.

Purchased tabbouleh spooned onto whole romaine lettuce leaves is ideal with these Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches. Follow with baklava and fresh grapes.

For extra eye appeal, use tricolor pasta in this fresh-from-the-garden salad.

It's almost as quick to make the citrus-herb glaze that coats the chicken as it is to open a bottle of barbecue sauce-and the glaze has a far more interesting taste. Pour a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for the grown-ups; the kids should have lemonade. Finish up with watermelon and brownies. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Each year, some fifteen thousand Iowans enter nearly fifty thousand things in competitions at the State Fair. Categories range from draft horses and monster trucks to quilts and corn-cob mosaics. Of course there are pies and cakes, breads and biscuits, jellies and preserves, plus contests for the ugliest cake, the most creative dough sculpture, and things you can do with breakfast cereal. In 1994 Emma Whitlock of Indianola took first prize in the "Let's Cook Healthy! Iowa Pork" category. Although this isn't a traditional Fair version of pork tenderloins, it's a simple way to give them a sweet twist.