Plum Tomato

Cumin, chili powder, garlic and fresh lime juice are combine in the easy-to-make spice paste. It adds lots of flavor to the beef in this recipe, but can also be used on chicken, pork, shrimp or firm fish like halibut, swordfish and shark.

The shanks need to marinate overnight, so plan ahead. Uncork a spicy Syrah, Pinot Noir or Merlot to go with dinner.

If you would rather use swordfish or sea bass, by all means do. Whatever the choice, grill some zucchini that have been quartered lengthwise, and toss egg noodles with butter and fresh black pepper. Then finish the meal with sliced strawberries topped with sour cream and brown sugar. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Accompany this robust salad with crusty bread and serve grapes for dessert.

These sophisticated crab quesadillas need only six minutes of stove time. Citrus, green onions and Monterey Jack cheese provide delicate flavor; when teamed with a salad, the quesadillas make a light and lovely meal. Pour a dry Gewürztraminer, and finish with melon accented with fresh mint.

Almost all tomato-sauce recipes call for at least 30 minutes of cooking, but you can make this tomato sauce in less than 10 minutes by using a large skillet instead of the conventional saucepan. The tomatoes cook faster on the larger surface of the skillet and taste fresher than sauces subjected to 45 minutes of heat. Pasta is added to the sauce in the skillet to finish cooking both pasta and sauce together. This basic tomato sauce can easily be prepared while waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil. Ripe seasonal tomatoes, preferably plum or sauce tomatoes, which have a lower water content, should be used when available, but first-rate canned tomato pulp is a fine choice for the rest of the year. Those who wish to peel fresh tomatoes should, though it's not necessary.

Marietta's tomato sauce — made this simple way — is the best I've ever tasted. Roasting the tomatoes has a magical effect and intensifies the flavors. Though especially delicious in summer, this recipe is also just the thing when you can't find perfect fresh tomatoes. The sauce brings out the best even in a winter tomato.

At the restaurant, this vinaigrette is also used as a marinade for grilled chicken.

This recipe is from Cafe Annie in Houston, TX.

The crostini — toasted baguette slices topped with tomatoes and Parmesan — are a delicious accompaniment to the simple chick. Uncork a bottle of sparkling wine for a special touch.

"My favorite lamb dish in recent memory was a lamb shank at Bistro 110 here in Chicago," writes Valerie Young of Chicago, Illinois. "The waiter told me that it was seasoned with cumin, coriander, and curry, then braised for a very long time." The secret to this recipe? The lamb marinates overnight in a fragrant oil-and-spice mixture. If you don't have a spice grinder or coffee grinder, use a mallet to crush the seeds in a resealable plastic bag.