Sugar Snap Pea

The unofficial national dish of Spain, paella makes a fantastic main course for entertaining. Once you've prepped the components a couple of hours ahead, the finished product comes together in about 30 minutes. Just add a green salad dressed with Sherry vinaigrette. What to drink: Chilled Spanish rosé (called rosado); Rick Rodgers likes Las Rocas de San Alejandro Rosado.

So flavorful and so easy to make.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We think bowls made of ice are the perfect vessel for this soup, but if space is tight in your freezer, regular soup bowls will work just fine. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 8 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Ginger and garlic give these pea pods a hint of Asian flavor, but we think they're a good all-purpose side dish.

We've called for live lobsters in this recipe, but, to save time, you could use 1 pound (about 3 cups) cooked lobster meat from your fish market.

This stew is great served with noodles.

These hors d'oeuvres should be served warm, so fry a couple of batches at a time as platters need replenishing.

Dill and arugula complement this lovely salad.

Chicken broth is combined with oil to stir-fry the vegetables.

Serve this newfangled main-course salad with a crisp flatbread, such as lavash, and white wine or rosé spritzers.

Look for rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of your market.

Chervil's delicate anise flavor enhances the season's baby vegetables. If you don't have chervil, substitute fresh dill.