Shrimp

We recommend using a sturdy food mill (available at cookware stores) to help produce a thick stew base from simmered vegetables and fish. Alternatively, you can use a large heavy-duty mesh sieve to strain the seafood broth. Then push through enough fish and vegetables to make 13 cups of stew base. Serve cioppino with sourdough toasts.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

A lightly dressed salad of baby greens would complement this entrée nicely; serve rum-drizzled grilled pound cake slices afterward.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Bow tie-shaped pasta is mixed with Thai-flavored pesto sauce and tossed with cooked shrimp for a fast, colorful entrée.

The Scandinavian liquor aquavit adds unique flavor to this appetizer. Pour Champagne and chilled Alsace Riesling with the meal; offer lemonade with a touch of grenadine, too.

For a milder dish, use fewer Thai chiles and seed the serranos before mincing them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Allow 3 to 4 of the large shrimp per person. If only the smaller are available, you will need about 6 per person.

Bonnie Wilkens Metully of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "Having two very active teenagers means I've also had to learn how to put together an interesting dinner even on busy nights. I get inspiration from my favorite bedtime reading, an immense collection of cookbooks and food magazines. I also do a quick grocery run every day —usually because I've just read about a dish that I simply must try —but also because having a well-stocked refrigerator is the key to easier cooking."

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

A fabulous all-in-one dish, similar to paella, from Lucques in Los Angeles.

One piece of gemelli consists of two strands of pasta-both about an inch long-twisted around each other to resemble a braid. These noodles are great for catching the juices in this garlicky entrée. If you can't find gemelli, use fusilli; it will work just as well.

The provenance of this southern dish is shared by the Hakka and the Cantonese. The historic popularity of salt-baked chicken over the years led to various foods being called "salt-baked" even though they were not. The process of water-blanching, coating, and oil-blanching approximates baking to the Hakka taste. To the Cantonese the dish is simply jiu yim, or "pepper salt" to demote its primary flavors.