Mediterranean

Lavash, a Middle Eastern flatbread, comes in a variety of sizes and textures, from crisp rectangular crackers to large folded pliable rounds. It is the latter called for here. To form the lavash into cups, you'll need a pan with 12 mini-muffin (1/8-cup) molds, each about 1 3/4 inches across the top and 3/4 inch deep. Caponata is a piquant Sicilian dish of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and capers, generously laced with olive oil; this variation is much lighter-and contains no added fat-because it omits the oil, anchovies, and olives.

Squid is popular all over the Mediterranean; it's especially good in this tangy dish, which is nice as an appetizer. If you would like it to be less tart, just stir in a little extra olive oil before serving.

Ouzo lends a subtle flavor to the melon. Pour more over before serving, if desired.

This meatless salad combines couscous with roasted eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and leeks. Cooked sausage may be added to make it heartier. Serve with rolls or baguette slices and iced tea or white wine.

On the island of Corsica, whole fish is simply baked or grilled for maximum flavor. Local cooks often use mountain trout, sea bream, grouper or mullet, but you can use sea trout, lingcod or sea bass with good results.

A great combination of flavors that makes an elegant first course--for brunch or for dinner. The timbales need to be chilled overnight, so begin preparing this dish a day before serving.

Serve this flavorful saffron-scented dish as either an appetizer or a main course.

At the beach in Malta, the locals eat fried rabbit, rather than burgers, with fries. I've adapted the recipe by using chicken and sweetening the gravy with a touch of honey.

M'Eloise Waters of Yakima, Washington, writes: "Throughout the years, I have enjoyed so many 'R.S.V.P.' recipes, and now I have a request of my own: the chicken pasta from Spazzo Mediterranean Grill in Bellevue, Washington. It has fresh herbs, walnuts, almonds, and caramelized onions."

A colorful salad that is refreshing alongside the lamb chops. Green or red bell peppers can be added to the salad, if you like.

"Andaluca restaurant in Seattle offers a delicious—and beautiful—green gazpacho served with a crabmeat topping," says Elida D. Wilson of Olympia, Washington. "Would chef Wayne Johnson be willing to share his recipe?"

Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, capers and thyme add Mediterranean flavor to the fish.

Freeze some of this sauce now and treat yourself to a burst of summer one cold, wintry day.

A few years ago, when I was in southeastern Turkey working on my book Mediterranean Grains and Greens, I noticed that the women didn't soak their bulgur in water for some summer preparations. When I asked a Turkish friend about this, she let out a laugh. "In Turkey, no man would marry a woman who just used water! For cold bulgur dishes we always soak in tomato juice, onion juice, or fresh pressed and strained sour grape juice to flavor the bulgur first."