Fruit

Feel free to use cooked bulgur, barley, or couscous instead of quinoa

Part of what gives this cake its light texture is beating the butter and sugar well, so don't rush this step.

Use a pre-made custard as your base and paddle in a sweet-and-boozy cherry and bourbon topping.

Good ginger beers are made with actual ginger and deliver a nose-tingling hit of spice along with bubbles. Look for Fever-Tree, Reed's, or Fentimans brands.

An aggressively seasoned marinade delivers big flavor.

This riff on gazpacho gets unexpected sweetness—and great color— from the addition of cherries and a peach.

Scoring the plums helps the poaching liquid infuse the fruit all the way to the pit.

A fool is a simple, old-fashioned English dessert made with fruit folded into whipped cream. It is so light you could fool yourself into thinking it has no calories at all, and the layers of flavors are complex enough that it is satisfying without being filling. British accent is optional.

Believe it or not, watermelon and feta make a great pairing. Toss in some hot chili peppers and cilantro and you have a salad to delight everyone who tries it. Buy seedless watermelon for this—you won't be disappointed when you try it!

Twelve years ago, I made a simple bowl of "strawberries pazzo"—pazzo means "crazy" in Italian — for my friend Ann Spivack (this book's co-writer). The combination of strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper has been part of my repertoire for decades. Ann thanked me by baking me this pazzo cake. This dessert—while easy to make—is a cut above a standard strawberry shortcake. The cake batter is very forgiving and comes out well when baked on your grill or in your oven. Bake this in a standard 8-by-8-inch baking pan in your oven; if baking inside a covered grill, pour the batter into a cast-iron skillet, enameled cast-iron baking dish, or Dutch oven. The key to the herbed crème fraîche is a light touch with the fresh herbs. You don't want to overwhelm the cake. We used rosemary but small tender basil leaves are delicious too. We dressed up this cake for our Harvest Dinner by drizzling on a balsamic glaze, spooning Roasted Strawberries onto the plate, and finishing with an herbed crème fraîche. You can serve all three with the cake, any one of them, or forget all three of them and just serve the cake simply with a light dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Beer in dessert? When it's a naturally sweet brew, we say pour away.

Aperol is similar to Campari but sweeter and less boozy. This recipe works with either one.

For the record: Sherbets may contain some dairy, unlike sorbets, which do not.

The jalapeño's ribs and seeds are the spiciest parts; be careful not to rub your eyes after handling (or, wear gloves)!