Grilling

Sweet and crunchy jicama and smoky grill-roasted peppers and green onions combine in this attractive side dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Gremolata, an Italian garnish traditionally made with minced fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon zest and served with osso buco, adds a fresh flavor to grilled meats. For a slightly different taste, we've used orange zest.

Tuna, which is hearty enough to stand up to strong Spanish flavors, is particularly popular on the Iberian Peninsula. Dusted with paprika and served atop a sauce of tomatoes with bell peppers and ham, the kebabs make outstanding summertime eating. Pour a Spanish Rioja throughout, and present a caramel flan with berries to finish.

Try tucking this simple make-ahead salad into pita bread halves and adding some ruffly-edged lettuce for color.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Allow 3 to 4 of the large shrimp per person. If only the smaller are available, you will need about 6 per person.

Elote Asado Out on a walk in practically any Mexican town, who can pass up the always-present fresh ears of chewy field corn, turning and crisping over the coals? Who isn't attracted to the smoky-smelling, pit-roasted ears (pibinales) when they're poured from gunnysacks in Yucatan? And who doesn't like the fried corn kernels with epazote and chiles in Toluca (esquites), or the ones served from big boiling cazuelas in the capital's Alameda Park, or the ones topped with cream, powdered chile and cheese in the northeastern states? Our sweet corn isn't the same to me, boiled and buttered and served as a summertime vegetable. It lacks a little backbone. So when I'm having it, I usually give it a taste of an open fire, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of hot powdered chile…or the lavish spread of butter, cream and cheese of this recipe. Serve it anytime you're grilling, and you'll please practically everyone.

"Recently, I had dinner at the super-romantic Shadowbrook Restaurant in nearby Capitola," writes Holly M. Sharps of Menlo Park, California. "To get to Shadowbrook, you have to take a cable car down a hill. The restaurant is on several levels and has spectacular views of the ocean — not to mention great food. The salmon was absolutely delicious." The sake- and soy-based ponzu sauce is traditionally a Japanese dipping sauce. Here, it’s used to baste the fish as it cooks.

Sweet cherry tomatoes make an easy appetizer. What to drink: Top off glasses of cold lemonade with a splash of bourbon, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs. For wine drinkers, offer a California Pinot Noir.

For a picnic, transport the soup in a thermos.

We found that half a chicken breast (about 1/3 lb) per person was plenty when served with the rest of this menu, but you could increase the portion to a whole breast per person.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.