European

To fry the fish-and-chips, you will need a deep fryer or a large stockpot.

If your toddler doesn't want the toast part, give him a more finger food–friendly bowl of cooked, unmashed beans. Four-star chefs wait all year for the same privilege.

In Spanish, escabeche refers to placing already cooked seafood into a marinade—a pickling of sorts—but this subtle shrimp salad is gentler than anything you might expect from the term pickled. Complemented by silky thin-sliced onions, the shrimp get their tender-firm texture from slow-poaching followed by marinating.

Love the crust? Eat up! It's a solid source of heart-smart folate.

This budino (Italian for "pudding") is thick with a creamy texture. Be sure to use a large pot when making the caramel. If a smaller saucepan is used, the caramel could bubble over when the cream mixture is added.

Farro is a nutty grain similar to spelt. A whole-grain wheat grown in Italy, it has a firm, chewy texture when cooked. Look for semi-pearled farro, which has some hulls already removed from the grain and therefore cooks faster.

These gnocchi are also delicious with a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Stir 1 cup cream and 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add cooked browned gnocchi and toss to warm through.

Anita serves this easy dish for brunch with a mixed-greens salad alongside.

Spanish anchovies in vinegar (boquerones) are milder than salted anchovies and have a light pickled taste. They are available in the refrigerated section of some specialty foods stores and online from markys.com.

Pichet Ong adds pineapple to this Italian dessert for a Southeast Asian feel. The tiramisù needs to chill overnight.

This dessert honors two good friends of the tomato—basil and cheese. Garnishes of candied cherry tomatoes and fried basil make it extra-special.

Any plum-type tomato would work here. WHAT TO DRINK: A smooth red with good acidity, like the Marcarini 2004 "Ciabot Camerano" Barbera d'Alba, Italy ($18).

The chicken gets great flavor from a six hour brine, so begin early or a day ahead.

The restaurant uses house-made pasta, but wonton wrappers also work well (they're in the refrigerated deli section of most supermarkets).

The figs for the sauce need to marinate overnight, so start one day ahead.