Grilling

The ginger sauce is a good staple to keep on hand in the fridge — it's excellent with any fish, whether grilled, pan-seared, or steamed. Serve rice on the side, if you like.

Leigh Vickery of Tyler, Texas, writes: "Even though my weeknights are mostly filled with baseball and soccer practice and helping my kids with their homework, family time at the dinner table is still important to me. To avoid the trap of fast-food restaurants on hectic nights, I keep plenty of recipes on hand that don't take too much time to pull together."

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are the poultry cut grill jockeys both love and hate. We love the convenience (not to mention the fact that they're virtually pure protien with practically no fat). On the down side, they're rather bland in flavor and tend to dry out on the grill. Brining is a great way to compensate for both of these shortcomings — especially if you use this "redeye" variation on traditional brine. A shot of espresso adds an unexpected flavor (don't worry, it's subtle), along with an inviting mahogany hue. To complete the coffee motif, I propose serving the chicken with an espresso-flavored mustard barbecue sauce.

The little green chile makes an appearance in the burger and in its creamy ranch sauce. What to drink: Chateau Souverain 2002 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley ($22).

For historic continuity, ferociously loyal community support, and an atmosphere that you could spread with a knife, you can't beat the hamburger joint Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut. Since 1898, the Lassen family has been grinding its own beef daily, hand shaping patties to order, and grilling burgers on antique cast-iron broilers in front of live flames. (This answers the question once and for all — the proper way to cook a hamburger is by grilling, not by frying it on a griddle.) And as any regional American culinary landmark should be, Louis' Lunch is sufficiently quirky to allow melted processed cheese but militantly prohibit ketchup and mustard as accompaniments to its signature burgers. Here, then, is the next best thing to elbowing your way up to the counter at Louis'.

Be sure to clean the grill rack thoroughly with a metal brush to remove any bits of grilled food that might impart an off flavor to the cake. Reheat the cake on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven before serving.

If your mushrooms are dirty, allow time for wiping them clean with slightly dampened paper towels before lighting the charcoal.

Although this recipe is extremely simple, you need to be careful not to overcook the meat.

Luganega, a coiled slender Italian pork sausage sold at Italian markets and some supermarkets, often comes with flavorings such as spices and cheese. If you can't find it, substitute any fresh Italian sausage.

For this recipe, we prefer Thai Kitchen coconut milk (available at many supermarkets) because it has a higher coconut-cream content than other brands, giving the sauce and marinade a much thicker consistency. Other brands work fine but are thinner, so you'll have to use about half a can more than we call for here.

Food Editor: Melissa Roberts-Matar
Father: Richard Roberts, Monsey, NY
Summer and my father's grilled lemon chicken are synonymous for me. Like the alphabet-shaped pancakes he cooked on weekend mornings, this is a signature creation, and one he perfected over time. The chicken picks up a bright citrus flavor in an unusual marinade made with lemon, oil, and egg. Dad likes to serve it with homemade potato salad and iced tea spiked with mint leaves.

To minimize untended grill time, bring the stuffing and reserved cheese to the grill along with the mushrooms.

My son Jesse loves the spicy flavor of this grilled chicken. I often prepare extra chicken, serving some for dinner and using the rest later in noodle dishes, salads, and stir-fried dishes.

Ground Urfa and Maras peppers are flavorful without being fiery. If you find only one, use 1 tablespoon of it.

Funghi alla Griglia This dish was inspired by the fresh mushrooms that Gina Miraglia Eriquez and Anna Tasca Lanza picked from Lanza's garden while Miraglia Eriquez was visiting her cooking school, conducted at the Tasca d'Almerita Winery (214-373-1161).

These skewers are traditionally made with Brazilian queijo de coalho, a dense, salty white cheese very similar in taste and texture to the Haloumi we use here. Soaking the cheese on the skewers removes some of the salt and prevents the skewers from burning.