Herbs & Spices

Fried with a parmesan coating, humble cauliflower takes on a whole new appeal in this salad; lots of parsley makes it aromatic and refreshing.

Grilling a whole chicken cuts down on prep time and makes for a dramatic presentation. A purée made from fresh herbs, garlic, and chile spread under the skin of the bird keeps the meat moist.

If you like curries, you'll love this recipe. The sauce is rich with coconut flavor and redolent with spice. Don't be alarmed by the number of red chiles — these are mild.

Elegant but easy, this fast fish dinner is simple enough to prepare on a weeknight and special enough to serve to company.

Kebabs are not only fun to eat, they also save time: It takes less than 10 minutes for these lamb cubes to cook up medium-rare. The marinade, made with fresh thyme and rosemary, infuses both the meat and the vegetables with south-of-France flavor.

Canned artichoke hearts give this dish a Mediterranean flavor without the work involved in preparing fresh ones.

Lori Hartman of New York City, writes: "I'm looking for a good madeleine recipe similar to the delicious ones (lemony, buttery, and spongy, but crispy on the edges) I used to buy at Bouley Bakery in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood. Can you get the recipe?" The crisp edge on these delightful citrus-scented cookies sets them apart from any other classic madeleines our food editors have tasted. We're never going back.

Dipped in peanut sauce, these beef satés are flavor bombs on a stick. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients — we promise you won't be disappointed if you make the sauce from scratch. (It's so much fresher and more complex than any bottled product you may have used in the past.) The meat can be marinated and the sauce prepared ahead, so you just need to grill the satés before serving.

Beware of packaging announcing a product is "100 percent wheat" — this designation can be used on foods made with refined wheat flour. To be sure of a product's nutritional value, read labels carefully: The first ingredient should be a whole-grain product. Check the fiber content — if the product doesn't contain a minimum of three grams per slice, you are probably dealing with an impostor.

The perfume of dried spices combines with fresh cilantro to telegraph the taste of Morocco in an assertive rub that was made for the grill.

Though not quite as tender, lamb shoulder chops have deeper flavor than rib chops and won't break the bank.

It's always exciting to find a cooking method that has a dramatic effect on the flavor of your food, and this technique certainly fits the bill. Black bass, liberally seasoned with garlic, olive oil, and lime, is wrapped in layers of water-soaked paper, then buried under hot coals.

Lightly frying the zucchini for this dish is the only step that takes a bit of time. And the result is wonderful; the thin slices, accented with garlic, mint, and lemon, meld perfectly with the pasta.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 6 to 7 meals (for 4 people) if you figure on 1 pint of sauce per pound of pasta. We used a food processor to save time, and also added a few ingredients to Edith Guerino's original recipe. Be sure to use very ripe tomatoes to get the best flavor. If your tomatoes lack sweetness, the sugar will help balance their acidity.