Olive

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World by Lynn Alley. For more on slow cooking, click here. This simple chicken stew draws on the characteristic flavors of Provence: tomatoes, basil, olives, olive oil, and garlic. This dish was traditionally made in an earthenware casserole such as those produced in the Provençal town of Vallauris, located in the Alpes-Maritimes above Cannes. Vallauris has been home to producers of such casseroles for centuries and has been a pottery center in France since the nineteenth century.

Often found at shacks on the beach in Puerto Rico, this full-flavored crab dish is served in the shell, or with rice and green bananas or plantains. A defining element of the dish is sofrito, a traditional Spanish sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, cilantro, and hot pepper.

A layer of sliced fried plantains forms the crust; picadillo — a Latin dish of ground meat, tomatoes, and spices — makes a savory filling. This would be a lovely supper with bread and a salad.

This hefty omelet is big enough for two people to share, and the recipe makes great use of the flavored goat cheese varieties now available at supermarkets across the country.

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

This side dish plays the dual role of salad (with crunchy fennel and carrot and fresh parsley) and bed for the Cornish hens (recipe precedes) — the seasoning of these chewy grains echoes that of the olive butter tucked under the birds' skin.

Cornish hens have a distinctive, delicate flavor that can be easily overpowered. Perhaps surprisingly, the extroverted combination of olives and capers doesn't drown out the meat, but gives it an unexpectedly earthy and savory quality.

The duck marinates overnight in a spice rub, so start this recipe one day ahead.

Spaghetti con Salsa di Olive e Pinoli All'arturo This pretty, confetti-like dish is sure to become one of your weekday standbys. Not only is it easy to prepare, but you've likely got all the ingredients right there in your fridge. The trick is to hand-chop everything very finely, so that you get just the right amount of fiery crunch in every bite.

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes and earthy black olives enliven thin veal slices with the vibrant flavors of a sunny coast.

Cauliflower, enhanced with toasty almonds and a briny parsley-olive mixture, holds its own as the star in this simple and slightly spicy vegetarian supper.

Begin marinating the olives at least two and up to five days ahead.

These delicious ravioli come from the hot Buenos Aires restaurant Social Paraiso. Freezing the Brie for 20 minutes will make trimming the rind easier.

Sherry lends a nutty note to a big-flavored and colorful sauce.