Shrimp

Any shrimp will work in this recipe, but for the best-tasting, most sustainable choice, go for American farmed or wild shrimp.

This is a delicious Web-exclusive recipe for Epicurious by Chef Kerry Simon at Las Vegas' Simon at Palms Place Hotel and Spa. It's an interesting take on the classic creamy rock-shrimp dish and a great appetizer for a Super Bowl gathering or any party.

This tomato-Worcestershire-vodka soup gets served in shot glasses for fun. Look for the pickled veggies near the jarred vegetables in the supermarket.

Vitaly Paley, Paley's Place, Portland, Oregon
Barb Foulke, Freddy Guys Hazelnuts, Monmouth, Oregon (hazelnuts) Nyora peppers are authentic to making true Catalan romesco sauce. If they're not available, substitute additional large red peppers such as dried ancho chiles. Barb and Vitaly love the idea of using hazelnuts instead of almonds, which are more common in this sauce. Use spot prawn instead of extra-large shrimp when available at your local fish market.

The combination of shrimp and root veggies is unexpected—and fantastic. For a vegetarian main, skip the shrimp.

The spices that are added to the shrimp cooking liquid were inspired by Cajun crawfish boils.

L'Albatros brings a taste of France to Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. Cassoulet, bouillabaisse—and even escargots—show up on the menu. But the restaurant also dabbles in other regions of the world. There are pizzas, a burger, and this delicious take on shrimp scampi, an American classic.

This Peruvian ceviche offers a plethora of interesting textures: the meaty chew of octopus, the refreshing bite of shrimp, and the marshmallowy smoothness of bay scallops. It's all bathed in the electric yellow glow of a sauce made with Peru's most common chile pepper, the aji amarillo. You can find jarred aji amarillo paste at South American markets. The pepper imparts a distinct fruity quality to this dish, and the addition of turmeric and ginger enhances this fruitiness while toning down the pepper's heat. The variety of seafood in the following preparation, along with its exciting color, is certain to be a favorite on your table.

Asian sweet chili sauce is available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.

With a smoky paprika glaze, these Spanish-inspired skewers are irresistible.

Pop a few of these to feel lively all night long—they supply energizing iron and protein. And capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their fire, may kick up your metabolism.

These skewers of marinated barbecued shrimp are pure cocktail fun because you can eat the sugarcane skewers as well. The cane gives the shrimp a subtle sweetness and everyone loves to suck on the skewers after the shrimp are but a memory.

After these plump up from a quick brine, and cook in their shells, they'll eat more like peel-and-eat lobster tails than plain old shrimp. Serve this alongside grilled steak, and it'll be not only a great respite from the meat's richness, but it'll give you a surf-and-turf experience, which for me was one of the most exciting things to get at a restaurant when I was little.

My idea of party perfection is a backyard fajita fest. I have the guys roast the peppers until blistery and browned, then I send them into the kitchen to seed and slice them. Next they grill up the steaks and cut them into nice, thin strips. Meanwhile I've already set out bowls of guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and chips. We all gather around my outdoor table, each of us making our dream fajita with just the right balance of steak and peppers, sour cream and guacamole.

This colorful main course delivers authentic, long-cooked Southern flavors in a short amount of time.

Pineapple helps give this Asian salad a perfect balance of hot, salty, tangy, and sweet.

Japanese breadcrumbs and shredded coconut give these shrimp a crispy, crunchy crust.

Fiber-rich bulgur and protein-packed shrimp in this mix will keep you full for hours—but it takes mere minutes to make.