Eggplant

The recipe calls for one cup of cream, but the soup tastes equally delicious without it.

Offered at A Pacific Cafe, in Kapaa, on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

Here's a versatile recipe that can be served as a first course, a side dish or even a meatless main course. For extra flavor, add sautéed mushrooms, diced salami, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or sautéed strips of bell peppers to the topping before baking.

Grapefruit zest stands in for lemon peel in the gremolata, an aromatic garnish.

One of the most memorable meals of my vacation in Provence was at the one-star Auberge la Fenière," says Jacqueline Ross of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Set in the Lubron hills outside the town of Lourmarin, it's a remarkable place owned by one of France's celebrated female chefs, Reine Sammut. I'd love to re-create my first course there, a chilled tomato puree with roasted eggplant."

Pesto made with basil also works beautifully in this dish.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Escalivada Served hot, at room temperature, or chilled, this versatile vegetable mélange shows up frequently on Catalan menus. We love to use Unió, a fragrant, peppery oil made from the region's arbequina olives, both for cooking this dish and for drizzling over it.

Serve these succulent eggplants with the steamed red snapper .

Pomegranate molasses is sold at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets; panko is in many supermarkets' Asian foods aisle.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This tart is so deliciously rich, it can stand alone as a luncheon main course. A crisp green salad and a glass of nicely chilled white wine would complete a most satisfactory meal.

A complete vegetarian main course, with fresh herbs and Moroccan accents.