Chicken

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . This is the basic recipe for beer-can chicken. The origin of this recipe has as many stories as there are grill cooks. The one I like best goes something like this: A barbecue pit master had been drinking beer—the officially sanctioned barbecue-circuit beverage—all day when he realized that he was going to need to eat something if he was going to last all night and into the next morning tending his slow-cooked barbecue. So, he opened his rig (a smoker-grill that is large enough for several whole hogs) and set his beer down on the cooking grate to get something small to cook from his cooler. He picked up a chicken and put it on top of his half-full can of beer without noticing what he was doing. He looked for his beer, couldn't find it, and popped open another one without a second thought. That is, until he opened the grill an hour later and, lo and behold, perched on the grates of his rig was the first beer-can chicken! Regardless of the story, it is truly the best chicken you have ever tasted!

Editor's note: The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com .

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . Once you understand the technique of grilling chicken pieces, it will be easy for you to add your favorite rubs, marinades, and sauces. I recommend grilling chicken pieces over an indirect heat so that the chicken is cooked on the inside and golden brown on the outside at the same time. Cooking over direct heat can create a raw interior and a burned exterior—especially if you put the barbecue sauce on too soon.

Topping the chicken with pancetta slices before roasting adds a rich flavor.

This is a traditional Tuscan method—bricks weigh down the butterflied chicken, resulting in even, quick cooking and crispy skin (you'll need two bricks for this recipe; wrap them in foil). If you don't have bricks, a cast-iron skillet will do the trick. Ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken for you.

Use leftovers for sandwiches the next day: Place shredded chicken, garbanzos, and tomatoes in a pita bread and top with the yogurt sauce.

This recipe originally accompanied Lemongrass Consommé with Matzoh Balls, Leeks, and Shiitake Mushrooms

Food editor Melissa Roberts drew on the influences of her husband's Lebanese heritage when she created this dish, rich with the spices and textures of the Middle East. Each bite of chicken combines crisp skin with moist meat and is savory with a hint of sweetness. Pistachios and raisins pump up the "chew" factor.

There's really no trick to recipes like this: Using moist, flavorful chicken thighs and good marinated artichoke hearts will result in a simple but memorable single-pan dish.

Remember to remove giblets before cooking.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and purchased tomatillo or tomato salsa mixed with some chopped fresh cilantro.

For a vegetarian version, use 24 ounces extra-firm tofu instead of chicken, and increase the soy sauce to 2/3 cup and the vinegar to 1/2 cup. Serve with brown rice or soba noodles.

This comforting soup is richly flavored but not at all heavy. Fresh ginger and red jalapeños add a nicespiciness. If you can't find red jalapeños, serrano chiles or green jalapeños would make a good substitute.

An elegant meal for four that requires only 20 minutes active time? That's our kind of dinner. This creamy, comforting dish is just the type of thing you crave on a blustery March night. Because aged vin jaune can be hard to come by in the United States, we substituted a two-year-old Savagnin (with a flavor similar to a dry Sherry) and were very happy with the results.

Featuring olive oil and the combined herbs and produce of the south of France, this one-dish country dinner will transport you to a café table in Aix in a heartbeat.

Adding Dijon to this sauce lends not only a nice kick but also body and richness—without resorting to lots of cream and butter (a shocking idea in an issue that sings the praises of French food, we know).

Though coq au vin made with red wine is perhaps the best-known incarnation of the French dish in this country, most regions of France have unique versions that take advantage of local wines. Alsace's dry Riesling lends a gentle richness to this creamy, comforting meal.