Fish

Buy an apple tart for dessert.

Tuna, which is hearty enough to stand up to strong Spanish flavors, is particularly popular on the Iberian Peninsula. Dusted with paprika and served atop a sauce of tomatoes with bell peppers and ham, the kebabs make outstanding summertime eating. Pour a Spanish Rioja throughout, and present a caramel flan with berries to finish.

A light and flavorful way to cook fish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Brandade, a specialty of Languedoc and Provence, inspired the following recipe. Also called brandade de morue ("ragout of cod"), it is classically a purée of salt cod, olive oil, and milk, often thickened with bread or potato. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Crème fraîche makes these potatoes extra rich and utterly delicious.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Good accompaniments to this Sicilian-style pasta are an arugula and fig salad, breadsticks, and gelato with amaretti.

These can be made one day ahead, then drizzled with the vinaigrette just before serving.

In the South we grow up loving catfish, which is plentiful in the bayous and rivers. Now it's farm-grown and northerners are discovering its mild and versatile flavor. We coat bite-size fingers of catfish fillets with plenty of Tabasco sauce and deep-fry them for a knock-your-socks-off appetizer.

For a Fourth of July theme, top these bluish purple potatoes with salmon or red lumpfish roe. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

Broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, looks like green cauliflower and has a milder flavor than broccoli.

"Recently, I had dinner at the super-romantic Shadowbrook Restaurant in nearby Capitola," writes Holly M. Sharps of Menlo Park, California. "To get to Shadowbrook, you have to take a cable car down a hill. The restaurant is on several levels and has spectacular views of the ocean — not to mention great food. The salmon was absolutely delicious." The sake- and soy-based ponzu sauce is traditionally a Japanese dipping sauce. Here, it’s used to baste the fish as it cooks.

Puréeing the corn with low-fat milk gives the soup a creamy texture. Serve it as a starter or as a light main course with a green salad and crusty bread.

Start with tomato soup garnished with chopped fresh basil. Have deli potato salad with the main course, and for dessert, pears with Gorgonzola and biscotti.