Dill

When dinner needs to be on the table fast, you can rely on this colorful and flavorful dish. You have the option of spooning the shrimp onto a bed of rice or orzo, or just using crusty bread to soak up the juice.

Gravlaks — fish cured with salt, sugar, and dill — is usually made with salmon, but we like the milder flavor of arctic char for this particular dish. Keep in mind before starting to cure your fish that you will need to turn it every 12 hours for a total of 36 hours.

This is not the salad with feta and olives that most Americans know, but a version popular in the Greek countryside that typically includes a few wild greens foraged from the land. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The hors d¸oeuvres may be made 1-1/2 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Start this romantic supper with Russian caviar and ice-cold lemon vodka. The main course is a simplified but impressive interpretation of the Russian fish pie known as kulebiaka, which the French call coulibiac. Offer Champagne with the entrée, and finish the meal with babas au rhum from a French bakery to complete the cross-European elegance.

This sauce would also taste great served with a variety of fish, as well as sautéed scallops, shrimp or lobster.

Heres a cool combination thats excellent with salmon. Because the bulgur is not cooked, it needs to sit overnight in the dressing to soften, so begin preparing it a day ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To make this borscht into a full meal, serve the butter-braised oysters as a starter, or vice versa.

Sephardim (Jews of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean extraction) eat peas during Passover; those from eastern European Jewish backgrounds do not. Feel free to omit the peas — the soup is just as delicious without them. It's important to use a flavorful chicken stock for this recipe, so if you have a stash of homemade stock in your freezer, this is the time to use it. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making stock)

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

All but the most experienced of crêpe chefs will admit that the first crêpe in a batch is often not of the best quality. The level of heat under the skillet needs to be fine-tuned as you go. With that in mind, our recipe makes enough batter for 2 crêpes, even though you'll only need 1 for this hors d'oeuvre. If the first crêpe comes out well, freeze the extra, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, to use another evening. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr