Parade

When making this salad, which is lightly spiked with jalapeño pepper, have all the ingredients prepared ahead. Then just toss them together as close to serving time as possible to keep the flavors fresh.

Joan Nathan's The Foods of Israel Today is full of intensely flavored recipes, such as this salad. Grab a copy now, while so many fresh vegetables are available.

When preparing bread salad, do not drizzle with oil and vinegar until just before serving, or the bread cubes will become soggy.

Flounder is a lean, thin fish that cooks very quickly. So be sure to cook it 4 to 5 inches from the heat source — and watch it carefully! Clover sprouts are available in the produce department of better supermarkets.

Wilt the vegetables over low heat, stirring often so they do not burn.

This glaze adds a rich shine to the turkey and also enhances the flavor of the gravy. The glaze may be prepared 2 days ahead. This recipe is an accompaniment for Maple Ginger Roasted Turkey.

Do not allow the meringue to overcolor when baking — check the oven often. Chill the pie well before serving.

Save any scraps of this dough to create a decorative design for the top of the pie.

It is essential to slice the brownie in half through the middle lengthwise; otherwise, the cake slices will be too thick.

For an impressive presentation, I always set the lemon halves in red-wine glasses, because their bowls are larger than white-wine glasses. Serve extra lemons alongside.

When you brush the bottom pie crust with an egg wash, you keep the fruit from making the pie soggy as it bakes. By sprinkling the top crust with sugar, it makes for a great sugary crust.

This idea comes from The Mercer Kitchen, a great restaurant in New York City's SoHo district that serves innovative, bold-flavored food. Color, as well as taste, is important here, so arrange the veggies carefully.

When tomatoes are not at their prime, baking caramelizes them and brings out the sugar, making them as sweet as summer's best.

When hard-boiling eggs, it's important to do it perfectly, or the yolks will overcook and discolor. Follow these directions carefully. Use the paprika gingerly to dust very lightly!

This syrup is good to have on hand for making sorbets and certain cocktails. A plus: It keeps for a long time.

When adding the diced vegetables to the flaked salmon, fold the ingredients together gently so that the salmon doesn't break up.

This dish is ideal for entertaining, because you can prepare the sauce ahead and then simply toss it with the cooked pasta. Do not overcook the shrimp!

Don't marinate the fish more than 15 minutes, or it will be cooked by the citric acid in the lemon juice (like the Latin dish seviche). And don't toss the vegetables until serving time, or the vinegar will discolor the beans.

All of these fruits have lots of water in them, so I hold off on the salt, which will only draw out more water and make the dressing soupy. Pepper and basil lend a good kick. Have a bowl of coarse salt nearby if desired.

Steve Delaney, West Chester, Pa.
"My recipe reflects the Caribbean influences in the foods of Miami, where I lived for many years."