Quick

The big flavors of steaks hold up to vibrant sauces, like this bright condiment from Argentina (which can also double as a marinade).

The combination of creamy ricotta, sweet fruit, rich olive oil, and a little salt is addictive. We'll be serving this for breakfast, brunch, and dessert all summer.

"As a kid, I loved frenched green beans drenched in butter! Here, in a creamy raw slaw atop barely hardboiled eggs, they're all grown up." —Allie Lewis Clapp, food editor

Mild, crunchy green papaya is not the same as underripe papaya. Look for it at Asian or Mexican groceries.

If you have a mandoline with a julienne attachment or julienne peeler, use it here. For the best texture, stop cooking before the squash goes limp.

"Paris chef Alain Passard, who is famous for unusual pairings, inspired this dish." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

Go light on the salt when seasoning these chops; the marinade is fairly salty, especially after it reduces.

Trust us: Your first batch of this condiment will not be your last. Spoon it over the Ricotta Omelets , or see the Cooks' notes for other ways to enjoy it.

Oh, mama! This one's hot. Not in that obnoxious, burns you right off the bat kind of way, but in that slow, didn't see it coming, want to take two more bites to feel the burn just that much longer kind of way. That's a good kind of pain. This seasoning has got three different types of chiles to make it complex and give it some heat, plus white and black pepper to round it out. Use hot or smoked paprika instead of regular to alter the flavor, if you like. We don't call for any salt in our recipe, but you can use as little or as much as you like without making the food overly salty. However, do remember to salt your fish in addition to using the spice in a recipe. And if you're using the blend for blackening, get that exhaust fan going or be prepared to set off every smoke alarm you have. (Better yet, do your blackening outside on the grill in a cast-iron skillet!)

One of the secrets to this raw salmon dish from Seattle restaurant Madison Park Conservatory is an amazing Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanout. It's like a curry powder in that there are a billion unique combinations, with each cook creating his or her own, though most include Moroccan favorites like cardamom, ginger, or mace. The blend is sold in fancy grocery stores or in Middle Eastern markets like the one near us in Pike Place Market that smells like heaven. You can also buy it online. If you can't find Greek yogurt, let plain yogurt drain a bit in a colander until thick before using.

This is one of the most popular seasoning mixes we sell, and it's a winner sprinkled simply over fish or used as part of a more complex recipe. This blend has just the right amount of garlic and onion, with paprika for depth and a bit of dill for flavor. But we think it's the celery seed that really makes this one sing. See what you think.

This quick, easy, and delicious recipe features a seared whole piece of tuna loin that's seared on a grill and then cut into slices and slid into brioche buns. Okay, so these are also technically sandwiches. If you're wondering why these slides are here instead of in the sandwich chapter, there are two reasons. The first is that Anders thought there needed to be a tuna option in Tuesday-Night Tuna. But the other reason is less pedantic: these are easy to make on a weeknight and make a fantastic dinner for four. Anders serves these with Pike Place Fish Smoked Walla Walla Onion Tartar Sauce, but you can serve it with any tartar-style sauce.

Italian Green Sauce for Fish or Meat An Italian edition of sauce verte, salsa verde goes with bollito misto, a northern Italian extravaganza of simmered veal, chicken, sausage, tongue, and more; but it's even better with plain poached, steam-poached, grilled, or oven-baked fish. Make it in a processor, following these directions; or, for a finer texture, make it with a mortar and pestle, as directed in the preceding sauce verte recipe. In essence, this is another version of pesto.

Toum bi Zeit I had struggled for years to get this sauce right—clear white, creamy, and pungent. But it was only when my Lebanese friend and food writer Anissa Helou offered the suggestion of strained yogurt instead of the customary dampened bread or mashed potato that the whole thing began to come together for me. This is delicious but—obviously—for garlic lovers only. It is best made with a mortar and pestle, as a food processor brings out an acrid flavor.

Why buy bottles of grenadine when it's so easy to make at home, the natural way? This garnet-hued, sweetly piquant syrup is a great addition to any number of beverages for both its color and its flavor—and it makes a delicious soda on its own, too. Use high-quality bottled pomegranate juice, or make your own.

The name egg cream is misleading—in actuality, the soda fountain classic contains no eggs and no cream. The three winning elements are milk, flavored syrup, and seltzer. For an icy beverage like top soda jerks used to craft, it's best to frost glasses in the freezer.

This is a twist on the Margarita and uses Japanese matcha for a modern feel. The finely milled green tea brings a touch of Zen to the cocktail ceremony.

Legend has it that a bartender at Chasen's, the famous West Hollywood gathering place for entertainment luminaries, created the eponymous cocktail for "Little Curly Top," the star of Bright Eyes, Little Miss Marker, and The Littlest Rebel. Necessarily nonalcoholic, the drink's appeal to children may lie in the brightly colored, candy-sweet maraschino cherry garnish.

Pea shoots are the young, tender tips and vines of the snow pea or the sugar snap pea plant. Once your plants are established and producing an abundance of pods, clip off leaf and tendril sections about 4 inches (10 cm) long. If you don't have your own plants, look for these tender shoots at farmers' markets or Asian grocery stores. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chile paste, and tart, citrusy makrut lime leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking.

If you want a real taste of Cuba, you have to start with a mojito. Rum, lime juice, mint…you've got the drink of Hemingway in your hands. For a delicious spin on the classic, try this version. Sweet, tart, and bursting with fruity flavor, blackberries are an outstanding addition.