Bell Pepper

"Add a little Parmesan to peppers and they go so quickly you can't keep them on the table." —Richard Andres, Tantré Farms, Chelsea, MI

Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe from her cookbook, Latin Grilling. It's part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious. This dish gets its name from the wars between the dark-skinned Moors (moros) and the lightskinned Spaniards (cristianos) that occurred during the eighth century in Spain. It's a very popular Cuban dish, and it's perfect for outdoor entertaining, as it can be made well in advance and be served at room temperature.

Thai red curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk, and fish sauce are available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets. Serve this curry over steamed jasmine rice.

Rounding this main course into supper for company is easy. Get store-bought hummus and pita chips for everyone to nibble on while you're at the grill, and serve the skewers with rice or couscous on the side and a bottle of rosé. Have a guest bring ice cream, sorbet, or cookies for dessert.

The yellow pepper mole may have lots of ingredients, but the result is a delightfully complex sauce. Golden raisins and white chocolate preserve the golden color of the roasted peppers, and while those may sound sweet, onion, garlic, and tomatillos keep the sauce savory, fresh, and never cloying. At the restaurant we give this a hint of smoked red pepper sauce and cilantro oil and garnish it with cilantro.

The saucy mixture of Parmesan, cheddar, bell pepper, and sweet-tangy Peppadew peppers coats the pasta perfectly—and the panko topping adds just enough crunch.

This hearty, veggie-filled rigatoni recipe requires a little bit of work, but makes plenty for a group and is full of flavor.

Bright vegetables (like bell peppers and tomatoes, which are filled with vitamins A and C) take center stage in this dish.

Stuffed peppers come out well on the grill if you don't make them too big. I like to mix ground meats and season the stuffed peppers heavily. Be sure to cook a little of the meat mixture to test the seasonings before you stuff the peppers, since the salt and spice levels of the various sausage meats and seasoning mixes vary widely.

All the vibrant, sun-drenched brilliance of the tropics is captured in this salsa that evolves in your mouth—first sweet, then hot. Luscious ripe pineapple is a perfect partner to the fiery, fragrant habanero chile. Not only is the habanero the hottest chile readily available fresh, when cut open it releases an intense perfume of ripe tropical fruits—mango, pineapple, citrus. As a finishing touch, a squeeze of fresh lime adds a pop of flavor and brightens the sometimes cloying sweetness of a really ripe pineapple. This salsa pairs well with dishes that are tropical in origin or spirit, that have bright, fresh flavors, or that have been simply marinated or grilled, whether fish or meat. It’s delicious with almost all fish and seafood tacos and grilled chicken dishes. If you cannot find fresh habaneros, substitute one tablespoon of a fruity hot or extra-hot habanero sauce with a mango base (Melinda’s makes a good one) for the habanero chile.

Enjoy this soup-stew as is or, for a one-dish meal, ladle it over brown rice. Pass the hot-pepper sauce, please!

To make baguette breadcrumbs, grind fresh slices, crust on, in a processor.

The technique: Cooking veggies over moderate heat for a bit longer than you would for a typical sauté helps meld flavors while retaining texture.
The payoff: Side dishes cooked on the stovetop preserve precious oven space.

Vitaly Paley, Paley's Place, Portland, Oregon
Barb Foulke, Freddy Guys Hazelnuts, Monmouth, Oregon (hazelnuts) Nyora peppers are authentic to making true Catalan romesco sauce. If they're not available, substitute additional large red peppers such as dried ancho chiles. Barb and Vitaly love the idea of using hazelnuts instead of almonds, which are more common in this sauce. Use spot prawn instead of extra-large shrimp when available at your local fish market.

Spiedini ("skewers" in Italian) refers to this dish at Frasca Food and Wine involving meat, seafood, or vegetables roasted or grilled over a fire. Instead of lamb shoulder, you could buy about 21/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb to trim and cube for the spiedini.