Fennel

A punch fish stew with scallops and mussels and all the good things.

If you have a perfectly ripe melon—great! If you don’t, no worries. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat here will give life to lackluster specimens.

A beautifully simple salad.

Make sure to peel away the outermost layer from the fennel bulb; it’s tough and fibrous and won’t be good grilled.

The liquid will not submerge the endive at first, and that’s okay. Take the gratin out of the oven after 10 minutes and press down with a spatula to submerge the endive in cream.

Slow-roasting fish is to cooking seafood what bumper lanes are to bowling: the definition of foolproof—and still pretty fun.

Toasting the seeds and nuts in oil forms the base of a complex vinaigrette.

The mix of lettuces and crisp vegetables is up to you (and we recommend a mandoline for slicing).

Consider the crunch: You want to choose a vegetable that’s naturally firm, like fennel. The fresher it is, the crisper it will stay.

You know what most chicken salads are missing? Crunch. Not this one!

Because it’s so delicate, the flesh can break down when marinated first, sometimes causing the fish to fall apart. A post-grill bath delivers flavor without compromising texture.

When you toss hot clams right off the grill with some flavored butter, the butter melts and mingles with the clam liquor, creating an irresistible combination.

Yes, you can use regular oranges, but don’t you just love the color you get from blood oranges?!

The same technique and proportions will work for a pork chop, lamb chops, or any other steak you like.

Two racks make enough for each person to have two lamb chops for this recipe. Cut between each bone individually for single chops, or cut into double-rib portions.

Turmeric or cinnamon? Nuts or raisins? The players may change, but the fundamentals of fluffy, fragrant jasmine rice pilaf are always the same.

Store the finished nuts in an air-tight container to prevent stickiness.

A palate-cleansing fennel salad to balance rich pork and hearty sides.

This light, fresh salad is made even crunchier with a sprinkling of pine nuts.

If you don’t have fennel, simply omit it and double the onion.