Tomato

These quick and easy pizzas make great use of store-bought pizza dough, which is available in your grocer's freezer.

To make quick work of the slicing, simply stack the ham and cheese and cut into strips approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Serve with: Sourdough rolls. Dessert: Peaches drizzled with honey.

Like feta cheese, ricotta salata is made from sheep's milk, but it is milder and nuttier. Avoid prepackaged cheese if possible (most cheese stores will cut it from a wheel for you). It keeps for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

The magnificence of a beautifully presented cooked whole fish is experienced far too infrequently today. Most people prefer the convenience of fillets, but fish has so much more flavor when cooked whole. Wrapping the fish in foil is a simple, effective way to lock in the juices.

Use the smallest clams you can find. Mussels would also work in this dish. Serve with: Portuguese rolls and a green salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chilpachole de Jaiba This typical dish is adapted from a recipe given to us by our official guide, Ricardo Muñoz. Although picking the crabmeat is time-consuming (enlist a friend to help), you will be rewarded with a truly exceptional soup.

A typical Israeli breakfast selection would include this salad (either already prepared or with the vegetables available), the pita bread, and Za'atar along with fresh goat's — or cow's — milk cheeses, yogurt, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and avocados (in season).

Watch how to fillet fish and sharpen your slicing and chopping skills with our technique videos.

"My friend Lily Shapiro and I developed this recipe together," says Amy Lesen of Oakland, California. "It has been tested on many friends with great success; the blend of ingredients is just delicious." If you'd like to make your own pasta, our technique video will show you how.

Grilled bread and tomatoes give this salad wonderful toasty flavors, and the chipotle chili adds a touch of smoke.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

During roundups, cowboys once saved any extra coffee for use in cooking, since water was sometimes scarce. The coffee powder in these beans is an adaptation of that. Add some hot buttered flour tortillas and a crisp salad alongside for a terrific meal.

Here's a robust main course for those April days that seem to belong to winter.