Seafood

"This tasty tuna marinade makes a good thing even better. Soy sauce, fresh ginger, rice wine, garlic, and oil are poured over fresh tuna steaks and left to marinate briefly in the fridge." 

Homemade stock will make any risotto fabulous. Here, the delicate, springlike combination of leeks and peas is given texture and heft with the addition of calamari, turning it into a main course.

Here's an example of international cooking at its fastest and best: a speedy Asian take-out favorite given an update with the Italian sparkle of basil, garlic and lemon.

"Sherry, garlic, and olive oil combine with paprika to give these shrimp a Spanish flair! This recipe is also great with squid or scallops." 

IT was a long time ago, but I remember well the first time I was treated to xec, the Maya salsa made almost entirely out of citrus. I had been served similar but fancier concoctions in restaurants, but in Mérida, Mexico, xec (pronounced “shek”) was presented with a total lack of pretense. Both its simplicity and its taste amazed me. In the Yucatán, one can get some pretty good citrus, including the sour orange we almost never see up north. But as I later discovered, almost any citrus combination works.

Do not remove the skin before poaching or the fish may fall apart during cooking. The vegetables in the pot can be served alongside the fish or discarded. Serve with rice pilaf.

"Bacon" variety avocados are in season in the winter; lighter in flavor than the more popular Haas variety, these large, thin-skinned avocados are exceptionally creamy and are perfect for using in sauces. While remoulade is typically made with mayonnaise, in this case we've substituted the mayo with avocado and seasoned it with lime juice. 

Peeling spring's fleeting fresh fava beans takes some time, but the results are well worth the effort. You can blanch and peel the beans a day ahead.