Mozzarella

Good as the centerpiece of a meatless meal.

Tracey Medeiros of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "I'm a food stylist and recipe developer — and passionate about my job. It was a dream of mine to have a career in the culinary arts, but I didn't think that was possible. In college I was a political science major and considered going to law school. But soon after graduation I realized cooking was my true calling." Italian-inspired sandwiches hot off the grill.

Serve with: Romaine salad with creamy Italian dressing, and steamed Broccolini. Dessert: Lemon gelato topped with sliced figs and Marsala.

Cut into slim wedges for an appetizer or into larger pieces for a main course.

Foster's variation on a simple Tuscan classic might be considered heresy to purists, but our customers are crazy about the addition of olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. It's a great dish for summer buffets. The salad can be made a day in advance; serve it lightly chilled or at room temperature.

No-boil noodles cut down on the prep time.

O.K., it's time to think about dinner, but in the summer, just the idea of turning on the stove — let alone the oven — leaves you less than enthusiastic. That probably means using the grill, but you've had your share of hot dogs, kebabs and barbecued chicken. Our solution? Something unexpected grilled pizzas. The dough is a snap to make; the pizzas are small and easy to manage; and since the sausages and colorful summer vegetables are also grilled, there's almost nothing to clean up. Plus, we splurged and added three kinds of cheese. After you try this recipe once, you'll erase the local pizza joint's number from your speed dial. And who knows? You might just forget about your stove.

To get you in the mood for summer we are grilling these pizzas, but if you aren't able to grill, you can cook them indoors in a grill pan instead.

Regular mozzarella can be substituted for the smoked variety in this quick and easy dish.

One of the best ways I know of serving a dish the second time around is to dress up the leftovers in tortillas, bake them in a spaghetti sauce, and top them with crunchy stuff. Even a picky kid might not recognize last night's dinner — if you're lucky. You can use the same fillings and toppings you would with tacos or try some others.

Bruschetta — a rustic Italian canapé — is the perfect vehicle for the robust flavors of late summer. Serve these topped toasts as a first course or, with a salad and a glass of wine, as a light supper.

For his pizza, Geoffrey Selling broils the eggplant instead of frying it in a lot of oil to lower the fat. But he coats the eggplant with commercial olive-oil spray, and we are reluctant users. How much different is spraying from lightly brushing with oil? To find out, we tested this two ways, spraying the eggplant one time and brushing it the other, and did not find a difference in oiliness. But after tasting the spray, right from the can, and then the bottled oil, we prefer the old-fashioned way.

Offer with artichoke hearts, olives, and salami.