Grilling

Try the sauce with grilled fish or chicken, too. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This chicken is nice for an outdoor meal — grill some corn alongside, and set out a bowl of coleslaw. Or broil the chicken, boil the corn, and serve it all indoors. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

The lamb needs to marinate for a least eight hours, so start the recipe ahead of time. This menu is nice with light red wine, like Beaujolais. Purchase your favorite cookies and some top-notch ice cream to make home-made ice cream sandwiches; it's as easy as placing a scoop of ice cream onto a cookie and topping it with another cookie. Freeze the sandwiches until you're ready to indulge.

Offer baked potatoes or garlic bread with dinner and watermelon for dessert.

You remember s'mores — flame-roasted marshmallows and pieces of chocolate bar sandwiched between graham crackers. The marshmallows melted the chocolate, creating a gooey mess that was so irresistible, you just had to eat some more. My hors d'oeuvre version features flame-roasted mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil squeezed between grilled bread slices or crackers. Everyone still winds up with an irresistibly gooey mess — great party fare.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This sandwich goes well with macaroni salad and sweet-potato chips. Scoop strawberry ice cream into waffle cones afterward.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but may require additional sitting time.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

"My husband, Don, and I both like to cook," writes Lisa Pendelton of Pasadena, California. "We run our own architectural firm. The business is rewarding but stressful, so spending time in the kitchen is a wonderful distraction. We divide the work and always help each other out. Actually, that's also the way we work at the office." Lisa's salmon is also great with her lemon cream: Mix 2/3 cup sour cream with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Shredded iceberg lettuce topped with ranch dressing is the perfect side dish. End with scoops of lime sorbet drizzled with tequila and sprinkled with lime peel. Canned chipotle chilies are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Serve with a crisp romaine salad and the Saffron Rice and Red Pepper Pilaf. Marinate the veal six hours before grilling. What to drink: A dry Italian white wine, such as a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

If you are making the creamed grilled corn and are using a charcoal grill, grill the corn first, then add more briquettes to keep the fire hot while you finish up the corn dish on the stove. Then keep the corn warm, covered, over low heat while grilling the grilled scallions with lemon and pork.

This recipe makes great use of rotisserie chicken, available at most supermarkets.

"Years ago, I was working on a client at my hair salon when we realized that our conversations always led to food," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "She happened to be taking classes at a local cooking school and suggested that I come along. After one class, I was hooked. Now, in addition to running the salon, I'm an instructor at that same school." You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy these delicious toasted sandwiches, which are skillet-grilled on the stovetop. For added visual appeal, finish in a ridged grill pan.

The colorful kebabs feature the popular Greek flavors of mint and oregano. Serve them over rice or with pita bread.

Offer deli-bought orzo salad tossed with slivered basil and Kalamata olives, along with some grilled red pepper quarters. Raspberry gelato in sugar cones would be a cool dessert.