Sandwich

Tortas In this favorite, the deep, rich flavor of refried beans gets topped with roast chicken or pork and fresh flavors like pickled jalapeños, citrusy cilantro, cool avocado, and comforting crema.

Roasting turns a so-so tomato into something pretty tasty, but it makes a high-season beauty that much more amazing. Here, the tomatoes can be roasted ahead of time so you can avoid having your oven on during the afternoon heat.

You'll find burrata cheese at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, Italian markets, and cheese shops.

Why you'll make it: Because it's as good as a lobster roll in a simpler-to-make easier-on- the-budget package.

These slender, snack-sized sandwiches, with rich rare beef, creamy avocado, lemon, and chives, will get appetites going, especially out in the fresh air.

Instead of pork shoulder, this southern-inspired recipe uses quicker-cooking pork tenderloin. For fullest flavor, look for Berkshire pork or another heritage breed. Smoked salt in a grinder can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets.

Try the topping on burgers or in quesadillas, too.

Pink peppercorns and peppercorn mélange (a mixture of black, pink, green, and white peppercorns) are available at many supermarkets.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Kimberly Kennedy's The Art and Craft of Entertaining. For Kennedy's baby shower tips click here.

Great with soup or salad — or alongside Linguine with Spicy Leek and Tomato Sauce.

Fresh marinara sauce makes all the difference in these robust sandwiches. Look for it near the cheeses and fresh pasta at the supermarket.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking, by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. You will need large hot dogs (knockwurst or foot-longs, take your choice) to hold all of the filling in this recipe. "The works" means anything and everything you like on a hot dog, so if there's something that works for you that we haven't included, bring it on; you can't mess it up. Whatever you do, the results will be over the top. One word of warning: Don't wrap the bacon too tightly, or it will break when the hot dogs swell during cooking.