Plum Tomato

Crispy phyllo takes the place of a traditional pizza crust in this inventive recipe, which is a great appetizer or light entrée.

Serve this entrée with crusty bread to help catch all the juices, and pour a light Italian white wine, such as Pinot Grigio. For dessert, spoon minted fresh berries atop vanilla frozen yogurt.

The following recipe was inspired by pissaladière, the Niçoise tart that features a similar topping.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This salsa is used to flavor Frijoles Borrachos , as an ingredient in Piquant Crab on Jícama Wedges , and to accompany Chorizo and Potato Empanaditas and tacos. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Adding the whole basil leaves to the finished soup gives it a super-fresh taste.

Instead of burger buns, we like to serve the lamb with lentil and rice salad and fresh greens. Of course, the burgers are equally delicious the traditional way. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Salmon and cod also work well.

Consider this delicious dish as a vegetarian main course, too.

Prepared pesto is widely available; here it brightens up quickly cooked clams. Offer some crusty bread for soaking up the broth and a salad of bagged Mediterranean greens dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. End with gelato and biscotti for an authentic Italian touch.

Fresh fennel, fennel seeds and the anise-flavored liqueur Pernod are combined here.

Serve with jicama sticks, radish slices, peeled cooked shrimp, and corn tortilla chips.

This salad — named after the famous New Orleans sandwich — would also be good on oversize rolls. Suitable sides include onion rings and carrot sticks with blue cheese dip. End with praline ice cream cones.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fabio Picchi, owner and chef of the restaurant Cibrèo in Florence, cooks like a Florentine granny with a spicy palate. He takes full advantage of seasonal abundance from the Sant' Ambrogio market next to his restaurant. Fabio's recipes are wonderful but imprecise, quantities are vague, and I've got to pay strict attention so he doesn't skip an ingredient or a step. His refreshing summery tomato aspic is simple and uses traditional ingredients in a novel way, creating a spicy tomato sauce with a wiggle, barely jelled, more fun than a formal aspic. Bright red, speckled with herbs, zapped with chili and garlic, Fabio's appetizer is a far cry from the ladies-lunch image of conventional, transparent consommé aspics. Even my gelatin-hating husband and son love this dish. Double the extra virgin for more authentic Tuscan flavor.