Grilling

This recipe is adapted from The Thrill of the Grill by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (William Morrow and Company, 1990). Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

A little bit of smoked mozzarella goes a long way in boosting flavor without adding much fat. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

The sweet yet tangy chutney lends an exotic flavor to grilled pork — or chicken or salmon. The dark brown sugar stands up to the other intense ingredients.

This specialty is about as regional as you can get. Although the recipe's name and origin are shrouded in mystery, in central Iowa it's a traditional steak dish topped with butter, Italian herbs, and garlic. The version featured here uses fresh herbs for extra flavor.

Play off the Provençal flavors by passing an arugula salad tossed with red wine vinaigrette. Sliced peaches topped with honey and sour cream would make a great finale.

Serve with: A black bean salad and burger toppings like pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Hamburger buns are optional. Dessert: Dulce de leche ice cream and sliced strawberries.

Serve with: Grilled pattypan squash and crusty French bread.

Look for chili-garlic sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Hannah Levitz of Monroe Township, New Jersey, writes: "I first became interested in cooking when my son, Paul, was growing up. He was a picky eater and quite a challenge to cook for. He's married now with children of his own, and thankfully, he has learned to love almost everything I make. When we all get together, I like to do the cooking — it gives my daughter-in-law a break. And because most of my recipes are speedy, I still have time to enjoy my three grandchildren."

If you're using whole-milk plain yogurt instead of lebneh, you'll have to allow extra time (at least 8 hours) for draining. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 50 min

Sometimes baby back ribs are sold in sections of four to six ribs rather than as whole racks; those will also work here. Begin preparing the ribs a day before serving so that they can chill overnight after the spice rub has been applied.

Salmoriglio is a strong, pungent lemon-herb sauce, originally from Calabria and Sicily. Serve the lamb with the chopped Greek salad to start and some grilled bread for soaking up the sauce.

Both the sauce and the ribs can be made ahead, leaving just the grilling to be done at the last minute.

Grilled Matambre Matambre (literally, "kill the hunger") is a classic South American meat dish. Every family has its own favorite combination of ingredients for the filling — some use vegetables, eggs, and nuts; others use ground pork, calves' brains, and spinach. We kept it simple and went with spinach and carrots. Traditionally, this dish is poached, but we decided to grill ours. After testing this recipe on both gas and charcoal grills, we found that we prefer the flavor that charcoal imparts to the dish. We used a 22 1/2-inch kettle grill, a large chimney starter, and a 10-pound bag of hardwood charcoal.* Active time: 2 1/2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr