Paprika

The perfume of dried spices combines with fresh cilantro to telegraph the taste of Morocco in an assertive rub that was made for the grill.

In Trinidad and Tobago, crabs are traditionally cooked whole and the meat picked out. This sophisticated dish combines American-style crab cakes with the island flavor of callaloo, a green stew that's the national dish of Trinidad. Here, the stew becomes a sauce, creating an elegant starter or light lunch.

Sfogliata Served with a glass of full-bodied red wine or a Martini, this anchovy- and oregano-flecked Italian bread makes for an appetizer extraordinaire.

Peppers from the valley of La Vera, in Extremadura, are used to produce a deliciously smoky paprika. There are three kinds of pimentón: sweet, bittersweet (called agridulce), and hot. We prefer agridulce in this recipe.

It is critical that you use smoked — not regular—paprika in this dish. Whether you use sweet or hot, you will end up with irresistible sweet potatoes.

These satisfying tarts may incite "vegetarian envy" in your meat-eating guests. The recipe makes 4 sizable main-course portions, but the tarts could be halved (or even quartered) to serve as a side dish. Either way, they are delicious with the roasted mushroom and barley gravy.

You'll have more spice rub than you need for the Grillades . Try this seasoning on fish, pork, or beef dishes.

Be sure to buy the salmon with the skin on, which makes it much easier to handle as it grills. Keep in mind this is a special cut that your fish market or supermarket seafood counter may have to order. What to drink: Tom Douglas likes to pair this with a Washington State Chardonnay. Try: Columbia Crest 2002 Grand Estates Chardonnay ($11).

The Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions feature dishes with sweet-and-sour combinations such as honey and lemon. Serve this chicken with potatoes or matzo farfel, and you've got a great meal.

If you only have sweet Spanish smoked paprika on hand, you can mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of it with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne as a substitute for hot Spanish smoked paprika.

This zesty butter can be kept in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for a month. Use it on all sorts of meats and poultry, vegetables, or cornbread.

Willow Cheng of Santa Monica, California, writes: "I just got a big promotion and my husband wanted to take me out to dinner to celebrate. We had both heard great things about A.O.C., so we decided to check it out. The food didn't disappoint — especially the outstanding curried cauliflower."

Rouille is synonymous with bouillabaisse, the Provençal seafood soup. The rust-red sauce is traditionally prepared by blending chiles, garlic, olive oil, and breadcrumbs. This easy, mayonnaise-based version is delicious with fried fish and seafood.

This recipe is adapted from George Lang's book The Cuisine of Hungary.

This spice rub is also great with chicken. Team the steaks with a salad of boiled green beans and quartered radishes, and offer some favorite beer.