Cooking fish on the skin side, which protects the meat from direct heat, leaves it so moist and tender that I can’t quite imagine any other way to cook it. This makes for quite a lunch or supper, particularly when you serve it with basic grilled leeks and a chilled Saumur- Champigny.
Main course
Gulf Coast Shrimp Tacos
The confluence of lightly charred shrimp with crunchy cabbage slaw and an audacious amount of hot sauce is my idea of the perfect warm-weather meal.
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Grilling vegetables and dressing them with a rich dressing is a revelation. Use as many colors and varieties of vegetables as possible.
Porchetta-Style Pork Kebabs with White Beans
These pretty kebabs made with pork tenderloin and rosemary branches create similar flavors to traditional Italian porchetta in a fraction of the time.
Lidia Bastianich’s Rigatoni with Italian American Meat Sauce
This recipe is a traditional Italian American favorite for Sunday lunch. It makes enough sauce for 4 pounds of pasta. If you have a big crowd, you can use the whole batch, but if you only want to cook 1 pound of pasta, don’t worry—the rest of the sauce will freeze well for several months. On a Sunday, this brings everyone in my family to the table.
Classic Meat Loaf Sandwiches with Tomato Jam
I learned to not mind leftover meatloaf, because what better way to use up extras than in a meat loaf sandwich? Nowadays I eat the sandwiches with my homemade tomato jam, but store-bought ketchup is delicious, too.
