Tomato

Escoffier codified the mother sauces of French cooking. In the Italian-American tradition, there is only one: tomato sauce. Call it marinara (we do), call it gravy (we don't), call it whatever your grandma called it. It's tomato sauce. There's almost nothing we won't cook in it or put it on. The real deal—what we grew up with and the way we would do it if we had our choice (and didn't have so many vegetarian friends and customers) would be to make that sauce, then simmer up a batch of braciola or meatballs in it, and then use the resulting meat-infused product as our "tomato sauce" in all its myriad applications. And if you're not catering to vegetarians, we advise doing just that: make a triple batch of sauce, use it to simmer up braciola or meatballs and then use that tomato sauce, fresh or from the freezer, whenever tomato sauce is called for in these pages. Use good Italian canned tomatoes and high quality olive oil when making this sauce, and take your time—there's no rushing it. When you're cooking the garlic, you want to very, very slowly convert the starches in it to sugars and then to caramelize those sugars. Slow and steady. Then get the tomatoes in and let them simmer. Not a ton happens over the four hours—no epic deepening of color or furious reduction—but it cooks as much water out of the tomatoes as possible without turning them into tomato paste.

These are delicious as part of an appetizer plate, or as a Martini garnish.

The fillets are cooked in foil packets with a mix of herbs, citrus, beer, and wine, then served with maque choux, a Cajun succotash.

Olivada, an Italian olive spread, adds flavor and color to this side dish.

Accompany this salad version of a BLT sandwich with grilled bread.

This is terrific on grilled baguette slices, sprinkled with feta or fresh goat cheese. Or try it as a topping for grilled fish or chicken.

Fresh and colorful, this vegetarian entrée is an ideal bring-along for a potluck supper. Quinoa, a delicate grain with a texture similar to that of couscous, cooks up in just 15 minutes. A complete protein, it's also nutritious. Look for it at supermarkets and natural foods stores. Smoked paprika can be found in the spice section of the supermarket.

Halloumi, a firm, mild cheese from Cyprus, is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Greek markets.

What makes this beautiful appetizer even more attractive? Both of the salsas and the toasted baguette slices can be prepared one day ahead.

With a smoky paprika glaze, these Spanish-inspired skewers are irresistible.

Making your own coarse fresh breadcrumbs takes just a minute; see "Test-Kitchen Tip" at the end of the recipe for the how-to.

I've been a big fan of the plump and succulent wonders of oysters for a long time—since even before I started frequenting one of my favorite raw bars: the one in the Blue Ribbon, in Tribeca. Something about the charm of this particular example of our sea's bounty has always intrigued me. These days I prefer local (like Cape Cod) over other types of oysters, but, still, I'm open! The accompanying salsita—which is tasty all by itself or even spread on a small salad of your favorite greens—offers a wonderful flavor and texture balance. I suggest making the accompanying sauce ahead of time so you can visit with your guests. Then just grill the oysters, plate them, and serve.

This beautiful side dish is perfect not only because it looks gorgeous but also because it's totally consumable! This creation was inspired by a dish I had in Puerto Rico, where I enjoyed a typical mofongo (mashed plantain dish) served in a pilón—which is a kind of mortar. I thought then, "Wouldn't this be great in a tomato?" Since then, I've been dreaming up all kinds of tomato stuffers! My first choice—as far as mushroom fillers—is domestic oyster, shiitake, or portobellos, which you can easily grill (or sauté!) ahead of time. Also, Manchego is another delicious option for the cheese.

This salsa is great with tortilla chips. The only problem is that it quickly becomes habit-forming—you just can't stop eating it. We serve a bowl of this salsa and a basket of warm tortilla chips to every table in our restaurant, and people always ask for more. I have even seen customers eating it with a spoon, like soup. It goes with everything, from breakfast to dinner, and it accompanies every meal at Los Barrios. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to 2 months.

A relish best made when tomatoes are at their peak of summer flavor, this is versatile and zesty. Serve it with Huevos Rancheros , with chips, or to top an omelet. It would go very nicely with the Spanish Omelet with Chorizo and Avocado. Once you get started making it, you'll think of many uses. Pico de gallo means "rooster's beak" in Spanish. This relish apparently got its name because it used to be eaten with finger and thumb, and the action looked like the pecking beak of a rooster.

This jam is the filling for the Rosemary Cookies with Tomato Jam . I often serve a small pot of it to accompany a sumptuous platter of perfectly ripened cheeses, one of my favorite desserts of all.

At a dinner at an Italian vinoteca, on the dessert menu was something I'd never seen before: ricotta-stuffed eggplant with candied orange and chocolate sauce. My curiosity piqued, I placed an order with the waiter, only to have him come back with "You won't like it. Order something else." Not one to be easily swayed from ordering an intriguing dessert, I ordered it in spite of his admonition, and you know what? I liked it—quite a bit, in fact. With that experience in mind, when I saw a fresh fennel cake on a dessert menu at a fancy three-star Michelin restaurant, I didn't hesitate to order it. I had high hopes and was ready for anything. But so was the waiter, who informed me as he set it down that if I didn't like it, he'd replace it with something else. He saw my expression after I took my first bite, and he briskly returned to the table to make good on his offer. Still, I do believe in giving a chance to things that are out of the ordinary, otherwise, how would we discover new flavors and tastes? I haven't gotten around to trying to come up with my own version of an eggplant dessert (and I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to come up with a fresh fennel one, either), but I've made these tomato jam-filled cookies many times and not once have I had to rush over to offer guests anything in their place.