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The flavors and juices of this Provençal-style tuna sandwich seep into the bread while it is being pressed. Serve with: Marinated green beans and herbed orzo salad.

Paulette Sexton of Tustin, California, writes: "Although I've loved to cook since I was a kid, I didn't really hone my kitchen skills until my husband and I started entertaining frequently. When we were first married, we had dinner parties several times a week — it got to the point where people would call me around 4:30 in the afternoon and ask, 'What's for dinner?' We're still having people over and we're still informal, especially in the summer. Everyone sits around the large island in our kitchen, drinking wine and eating appetizers. Usually there's grilled chicken or fish or a simple main-course salad for dinner. It's our favorite menu."

Peperonata is a mixture of bell peppers, tomatoes and onion used in Italian cooking. Chef Joseph Simone of Tosca in Hingham, Massachusetts, suggests serving this quick adaptation of one of his meatless main dishes with a salad of baby greens, sliced fresh fennel and crumbled goat cheese in a simple vinaigrette. For dessert, have baked apples with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To make this easy appetizer even easier, substitute store-bought roasted red bell peppers for the home-roasted ones.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A great accompaniment to baked fish or sausage calzones.

This colorful dish plays with the Basque sauté of red and green bell peppers. The Sherry wine vinegar gives the salad a delicious sweet-tangy edge.

Caponata is a Sicilian antipasto; its bold flavors usually include eggplant, anchovy, olives, and capers. We call our version a "caponatina," because we've finely diced the ingredients for a more refined hors d'oeuvre. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

A favorite accompaniment is the rice-shaped pasta called orzo.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Grape tomatoes are smaller than cherry tomatoes. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half for this dish.