Lobster

"I've been cooking since I was twelve, and my husband, Bruce, picked it up during a 'Mr. Mom' phase after our second daughter was born," writes Renee Davis of Cadiz, Ohio. "Although we've since returned to more traditional roles—I usually cook on the weeknights, and he grills on the weekend—we also have a great time coming up with recipes together. Bruce devised this spicy garlic butter to keep lobster tails moist as they cook on the grill." When you want to splurge, this is a sensational and simple dish with assertive garlic and hot (but not too hot) chili flavors.

It's best to serve this lobster salad right after you make it, rather than preparing it in advance. If the salad stands for more than half an hour, pineapple enzymes will alter the texture of the lobster meat. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

If you can't find fresh lobsters, frozen lobster meat can be used.

A 1980 charter signed by 11 restaurants (7 in Marseille) dictates what kinds of fish form the basis of an authentic local bouillabaisse. These are generally unavailable here, so we suggest using the freshest nonoily fish you can get, preferably three to five different kinds. As long as we were taking liberties, we also added lobster and used fennel fronds in place of pastis. And though the broth and croutons are usually served separately from the fish itself in Marseille, we enjoyed everything together. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Although bisques tend to be thick and creamy, the following intensely flavorful version is light, with very little cream added.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr (includes making stock)

This one is delicious made with shrimp and/or scallops, too. If using lobster, garnish the plates with the empty shells.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.

None of us expected to fall in love with this dish when we tested it, but we all did. Most Thermidor recipes yield something that tastes stodgy and heavy, but this version, by 1940s Gourmet chef Louis P. De Gouy, is almost sleek.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you don't want to cook a live lobster for this recipe, buy 2/3 pound cooked lobster meat from your seafood shop. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr (includes chilling)

For food safety reasons, the lobsters must be roasted immediately after they have been boiled and split. Market tip: American lobster from the Northeast is still in fairly good supply, though vulnerable to fishing pressure. California spiny lobster is also a good choice in this recipe.

This delicious salad is from Johannes.

Substituting cooked chicken for the lobster also yields excellent results.