Halibut

If your child is a truly adventurous eater, the Thai chile in the pineapple sauce won't faze her and will help sneak the fish in. If she balks at spiciness, on the other hand, replace the chile with a milder pepper, such as jalapeño, and remove the seeds and membranes. Or skip the hot stuff altogether—the sweetness and saltiness of the sauce will still be delicious.

Lynn Brown of Houston, Texas, writes: "For me, it's fun to see how much I can simplify or revise a recipe to make it my own. That's what I've done with the soup here (it's one of my favorite things to make). And the cioppino came from an old magazine, but I've changed a few things, plus I save time with canned tomatoes and peeled shrimp."

Traditionally, this Mediterranean fish soup is spooned over slices of toasted bread that have been rubbed with garlic. In this version, it is served with fresh bread (see the Lemon and Rosemary Fougasse recipe) and aioli — for stirring into the soup or spreading on the bread.

Since lima and fava beans have a shorter growing season than most local tomatoes, we've given frozen edamame, available year-round, as an alternative to make this recipe more versatile.

Kristi Parnell of San Marcos, California, writes: "Whether I'm cooking for my family or for company, I like to keep my recipes healthy by using lots of fresh fish and vegetables. The baked halibut here has become a weeknight staple."

Enjoy a taste of the islands with these healthful, low-fat tostadas.

The first time my Nantucket Island friends Nigel Dyche and Sarah Chase made this for me, I was incredulous at how fabulous it was, yet so simple. The fish tastes of the sea and the smoke from the grill with no extraneous flavors to mask the ocean-fresh steaks. The mayonnaise coats the thick pieces of fish, keeping them moist inside and promoting a golden caramelized color on the outside. Nantucket Islanders use this recipe mostly for swordfish, and it is one of their favorite summer meals, especially when paired with thick slices of ruby-red garden tomatoes.

The ginger sauce is a good staple to keep on hand in the fridge — it's excellent with any fish, whether grilled, pan-seared, or steamed. Serve rice on the side, if you like.

The fig leaves are not really for eating. They keep the fish juicy while it cooks and make it smell like coconut. You can cook these in the oven or on a grill.

An alternative to traditional gefilte fish, this cold, oven-steamed halibut makes an elegant fish course. Conveniently, it should be prepared one day ahead.

To pit an olive quickly, use the side of a large knife to crush the fruit, then pop out the pit. Serve with: Linguine tossed with olive oil and parsley and twirled into nests, roasted artichokes, and a crusty baguette.

Jason Gareffa of Los Angeles, California, writes: "Pursuing a career in acting keeps me tremendously busy. Between my improv comedy classes, performances, auditions for film and television roles, and gigs as a DJ for weddings, I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands. But good food is important to me, especially since I need a lot of energy to stay on the go. So over the years, I've started experimenting in the kitchen. Now the other members of my improv group even like to come to my 'wrap parties' to taste my creations."

Rajas is the Spanish word for "strips," and in the Mexican kitchen it generally refers to strips of chile. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Even though Aux Delices des Bois left Tribeca, Thierry and I still love Zutto, the sushi bar that was near our warehouse. It dates back to when Tribeca's cast-iron canopies cast their shadows on silent streets at night. Its metal loading dock held two tables, the precursor to the neighborhood's current profusion of loading-dock cafes. One evening the sushi chef, Albert Tse, made us this special dish, using a fish from each of the seven seas. Kind of like a Japanese version of the ancient French dish Coquilles St-Jacques, it combines fin fish and aromatic oyster mushrooms with the scallops and sharpens the flavor with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and seaweed. If scallop shells aren't handy, use any ovenproof baking dish.

If you prefer to present these halibut steaks with additional grill marks (as in the photo), you can grill the skin sides for about 1 minute each before grilling flesh.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. You don't know where the fish ends and the potatoes begin in this beautiful and satisfying dish Chef Desmond, of Island Cottage on Hare Island in Ireland, uses turbot that comes from the waters off nearby Clear Island. We call for halibut, which is more readily available here.