Citrus

IMPROV: No fresh figs? Dried ones work just fine, too. The only adjustment that you will need to make is the baking time — 45 minutes instead of 20.

Kristi Parnell of San Marcos, California, writes: "Whether I'm cooking for my family or for company, I like to keep my recipes healthy by using lots of fresh fish and vegetables. The salmon salad is one of my favorite dishes for entertaining. The ginger-lime dressing is always a hit.

Jonathan Waxman makes his polenta using stone-ground grits because he prefers their coarser texture. You will, too.

Brussels sprouts, sliced very thin, result in an unbelievably delicate slaw. If you have a really sharp knife and good skills, you could slice the Brussels sprouts by hand, but it's much easier to use an adjustable-blade slicer. Since walnuts are fresh and in season, Waxman uses just-shelled ones in this salad. Pecorino Romano varies in saltiness; you may want to add a little more than we call for here.

Often served with summer rolls or grilled meats, this sauce is also great over rice.

Fougasse is a favorite in southern France. It is said that the holes cut into the flatbread served a very specific purpose — they allowed a field worker to slip his arm through and carry the bread to work along with his tools. Serve this with the Bourride or as an appetizer, brushed with a little olive oil.

Before tasting the oysters served by Tadashi Ono at New York's Matsuri, I was convinced that the best oyster is a naked one. But there is something magical about the way frozen ponzu brings out the sweetness of a plump oyster; add the crunch of tobiko and you have something absolutely extraordinary. In our version, we serve the oysters on a bed of seaweed to keep them flat and to retain their liquor. If you can't find seaweed, substitute a bed of uncooked sushi rice. Traditional ponzu (a soy citrus sauce) is made with fish stock (dashi), but we used a kelp broth instead because we found the stock too heavy.

This recipe is a variation on sole Véronique. We've used tiny Champagne grapes for the sauce — they have extremely delicate skins, so there's no need to peel them.

The compote is a mixture of spiced fresh and dried fruits that are cooked in white grape juice and white wine. Any leftovers are great over ice cream or with plain yogurt for breakfast. Prepare the compote and flans at least one day before you plan to serve them.

Bonnie Hillard of Washington, DC, writes: "My sister and I stumbled across Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar at the end of a day of shopping at the Kapalua Shops on Maui. We'd read about this popular spot in a guidebook, and we couldn't resist stopping in for dinner. Everything was fabulous, especially the shrimp cakes we shared."

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Click here to learn more about the Ti Punch.

This sauce would also be terrific served with grilled fish or pasta.

Somebody had the bright idea to make a tequila Sidecar, using lime juice instead of the lemon and a glass rimmed with salt instead of sugar (tequila popularly being administered with a lick of salt and a slice of lime). The first notice of this practice comes in 1937, from London of all places, where the bartenders at the Café Royal somehow got their hands on a bottle of tequila and did some experimenting. But they called their version the Picador, not the Margarita, and didn't use the salt rim. It's entirely possible that the Margarita was born — in Texas, California, or Mexico — without prior knowledge of the Picador.

This syrup is perfect for French toast.