Blender

This is a great marinade for chicken fajitas, fish, or shrimp. I seal everything in a Ziploc bag, place it in the refrigerator, and marinate for 2 to 4 hours, to ensure that the flavor soaks in. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from A Kwanzaa Keepsake by Jessica B. Harris. The traditional roast pork is given a southern accent with a crust of well–seasoned crushed pecans. Thinly sliced pork loin with a slathering of chutney makes perfect sandwiches to take to work or school.

To be sure the flavor of the fresh herbs comes through, use regular olive oil (not extra-virgin) in the tarragon-chive oil.

In this pretty soup, sweet fresh peas are enhanced with a bit of mint.

I love coming home with friends from a steamy day at the beach knowing that I've got a batch of cold tomato soup ready. I dish it up, swirl in a tablespoon of vibrant green arugula pesto, and pass it around. We sit on the porch and savor the flavor of sun-sweetened summer tomatoes enhanced with a touch of cream and a nip of vodka. The rest of dinner will come later, but for now, we're assuaging our hunger, chatting, laughing, and reliving the events of the day. This is a great make-ahead soup. In fact, it becomes more flavorful with age. Although I like it cold, it's equally good heated. If storm clouds gather and the temperature plunges, take the soup from refrigerator to stove, heat it up, and serve it in mugs.

Soup is a great way to use up leftover greens, especially the leafy tops of beets or turnips, which too often get tossed in the compost pile. In this suave, satisfying soup, braising beet tops and collard greens (left over, respectively, from Smoked–Sable Tartare with Beets and Watercress and Wild–Mushroom Bundles ) with fennel and onion mellows the greens' hearty flavor and brings out a surprising smoothness (heightened by the cream stirred in at the end). Adding the spinach just before blending helps keep the color bright.

It's easy to transform the leftover rice from our Chinese Black Rice recipe into this beautiful and satisfying salad—just add crunchy celery, radishes, and a fresh basil dressing. In supermarkets, black rice (often labeled "Forbidden Rice") is usually found in 15–ounce packages; Asian markets often sell it in larger quantities.

If the famed Italian-American noodle took a trip to the Southwest, it might come back looking a little like this. With a creamy sauce and a duo of chiles that adds smoke and spice, this pasta is packed with flavor.

From the delicate calamari to the crunchy celery and crisp greens, this salad is a mélange of wonderful textures. Make sure to use the freshest calamari you can find, and cook it quickly over the hot griddle to keep it as tender as possible.

Fried zucchini is a classic snack, but watch what happens when it's amped up with smoky bacon and spicy jalapeño. The fragrant, floral basil dipping sauce is a terrific complement to the tender, light zucchini bites, filling your mouth with the scent of summer. (Editors' note: This recipe is solely the creation of Andrea Albin and has not been formally tested by the test kitchen.)

Because the roast needs to marinate overnight, be sure to start this impressive entrée one day ahead.

This riff on the classic frisée salad with lardons is the perfect thing to make with leftover hazelnuts from our 10 Minute Main Hake with Hazelnuts and Capers . It looks delicate, but its vinaigrette is enriched with the nuts and some bacon fat, which not only gives it substance but also balances the bitterness of the frisée and the bite of the radishes.

This tangy marriage of fresh tomato, cucumber, pepper, and onion is a summer favorite. The flavor of gazpacho improves if allowed to chill overnight, but thereafter this soup has a short shelf life because the tomatoes sour very quickly. It this best prepared no more than a day or two before it will be eaten.

A classic dish perfected. Ask your butcher to cut the meat from the shank into 3/4-inch cubes.

This seasonal salad is a great mix of colors and flavors.

My friend Timmy Reily makes the best version of this classic New Orleans drink. He likes to use the finest brandy, but once you've added all the other ingredients the brandy doesn't matter so much. You may need to add a bit more sugar, so taste a little and sweeten as you go.

My friend Marvin Woods taught me everything I know about Low-Country cooking, the regional cuisine commonly referred to as soul food. In many ways, soul food is an apt description because there is a lot of soul and spirit and passion that goes into Low-Country cooking—dishes like she-crab soup, catfish stew, shrimp and grits, red rice, hoppin' John, and baked macaroni and cheese. No Low-Country feast would be complete without corn bread. My version is steamed in a water bath to make the bread nice and moist; covering it with aluminum foil for the last thirty minutes of cooking gives you a nice crust that isn't overly browned. Paired with tomato chutney, it's a light snack or meal on its own.