Parsley

In a traditional Seder meal, bitter herbs — sometimes including parsley — represent the bitter experience of slavery. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Pasta with shellfish is an old Italian tradition. Have crusty bread on hand to serve.

You can use small manila clams or cherrystones if you can't get cockles. You can also use mussels, but the cooking time will be slightly shorter.

The flavors of gremolata — the garnish of finely chopped lemon peel, parsley, and garlic that traditionally tops osso buco — are terrific with asparagus. The asparagus can be blanched and chilled one day ahead.

Traditional fish cakes are made with salt cod and potatoes. To create a lighter, more delicate cake, we used fresh cod and left out the potatoes. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

These birds are one of many excellent grilling ideas from Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible (Workman, 1998) and How To Grill, in bookstores later this month.

Serve this sauce with roasted meat, fish, or chicken. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Decadent and inimitably French, this recipe was inspired by Jacques Drouot, manager of Le Dôme in Paris. Any leftover fresh truffle can be shaved over scrambled eggs, pasta, or risotto. Jarred truffles are an option, too, but don't have the same intensity of flavor. Or the truffles can be omitted altogether.

Start with Belgian endive spears filled with caviar of red salmon, golden whitefish or black lumpfish. Serve with your favorite Champagne or Chardonnay.

Try these flavorful meatballs on their own, in a tomato sauce or in a submarine sandwich.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur, but we decided to shake things up a bit by mixing tabbouleh flavors (parsley, tomato, and lemon) with rice and lentils, a common Middle Eastern pairing. Served chilled or at room temperature, the salad is terrific with any meat, poultry, or fish. You could add chickpeas, corn, or more lentils for a vegetarian main course. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

(Cacciucco) This seafood soup, called cacciucco (meaning "mixture"), is a specialty of Livorno, a fishing port that is Tuscany's second-largest city. It has been made for hundreds of years, and variations of it appear all along the Tuscan coast. Traditionally, at least five types of fish and shellfish are included (one for each "c" in the name). If you like, do as the Italians do, and place a slice of toasted bread in each bowl before ladling the soup over.

These twice-fried artichokes, or carciofi alla giudea, are made using a technique created by Jewish cooks in Rome. The first frying is done at a lower heat and simply cooks the artichokes. The second frying, in hotter oil, causes the leaves to spring open and gives them their crisp finish. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 55 min