Cilantro

Even though they are most often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, potato pancakes have a year-round appeal. Here they are given a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of flour made from chick-peas - the dominant flavor in falafel - as well as chilis, herbs and spices. Pour a dry white wine. For dessert, present fruit and some halvah. Chick-pea flour is available at Middle Eastern and Indian markets.

These easy-to-make meatless sandwiches are nice for a picnic. Wrap them in plastic, and transport them in a cooler.

Remove the skin and fat from a whole cut-up chicken to make this Middle Eastern dish.

These small pizzas from Indigo in Honolulu feature sweet caramelized onions, spicy chicken, and mozzarella, Swiss and provolone cheeses. Refrigerated pizza dough is used here to simplify the recipe. Chili-garlic sauce can be substituted for the Thai chili sauce if necessary.

Carrots, red onion, cilantro, Kalamata olives and a fragrant cumin dressing make a lovely summertime salad.

Serve the baked fish with rice and a salad of tomatoes, cucumber and green onions.

For some reason, small tunas like the bonito are not as popular fresh as the large yellowfin and bigeye tunas. Bonito has a delicate yet rich flavor. In this recipe, the fish is highly seasoned, grilled, and then broken up into pieces with the tines of a fork and used as the filling for tacos. The slight bitterness from the grilling combined with the smoky richness of the seasoned fish is a perfect excuse to experiment with several salsas as accompaniments. I particularly recommend Charred Tomato Mint Salsa. Don't forget to have plenty of soft, fresh tortillas on hand.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This refreshing salad is delicious and ideal as a snack or light dessert in the heat of summer. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

With some warm corn bread, this chili is a meal in itself. You wouldn't know there was chocolate in the recipe, but it adds a subtle depth of flavor to the dish.

Kraft introduced Velveeta in 1928, and its special cooking properties quickly caught on: When melted, it was as smooth as velvet (hence the name), and it would never curdle when heated. While many Americans today prefer regional or handmade cheeses, a lot of them still secretly indulge in a little Velveeta. After all, Grandma’s macaroni and cheese would never be the same without it. Velveeta makes this dip unbelievably creamy, too; scoop it up with tortilla chips, or try it in tacos.

Hélène Wagner-Popoff writes, "My husband, Ivan, and I moved to Corsica from Madagascar eleven years ago on a whim. We restored an abandoned convent and saved the thousand-year-old olive grove surrounding it. Today we produce an olive oil called 'de pays de Corse Ivan Popoff.' Although I was born in Lyons, the subtle flavors typical of Corsican cooking have definitely influenced my style. My dishes are extremely varied and well thought-out, but most of all simple. I like to surprise my family and guests with unexpected flavor combinations that don't take a lot of effort." While this is delicious on its own as a side dish, Hélène also recommends it as a sauce spooned over roasted fish.

At the restaurant, the chops are accompanied by a rice pilaf made by mixing mango, cashews and basil into basmati rice.

These Asian-inspired lamb shanks are wrapped and baked in individual foil packets, then placed atop bowls of steamed rice. Serve with stir-fried bok choy or other Chinese greens. What to drink: Asian lager beer or a fruity red Zinfandel.

Serve with: Warmed tortillas and steamed, buttered summer squash. Dessert: Key lime pie from the bakery.