Squash

The classic cold soup seems almost restrained next to this lusty dish — gazpacho ingredients are grilled, then tossed with pasta and cheese (some of the vegetables are puréed to make a tangy sauce that lightly cloaks the whole). The sausages are cooked separately, so this recipe will come in handy when there are vegetarians around.

Picada is a Spanish flavoring made with garlic, herbs, and ground nuts. Here, breadcrumbs stand in for the nuts.

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern take on panzanella, Italian bread salad. In fact, rustic Italian bread is a good alternative to the pita.

The soup can also be served warm.

Grilled and then tossed with a simple mustard vinaigrette, these vegetables turn tender and juicy, providing an ideal foil for the hearty grilled steaks.

Radishes, when roasted, lose their bite and perfectly complement the mellow sweetness of cooked zucchini.

Bibimbop A glorious combination of fresh stir-fried vegetables, each cooked separately to allow its flavors to stay true, is liberally seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. To gild the lily, every serving is topped off with a rich fried egg that gets added just before eating.

This vegetarian showstopper will bowl you over with its layers of flavor — one bite is enough to understand why it's often called one of the world's great dishes. Barley couscous, lighter and more aromatic than the well-known semolina version, serves as a nutty, fluffy base; tender-firm vegetables and a fragrant, golden broth are ladled over; and crunchy fried almonds and sweet onion confit add even more texture and flavor to the beguiling complexity.

Roasted vegetables and Italian Fontina lend this lush-tasting lasagne a more intense flavor than than you'd get with the usual spinach and ricotta filling.

If your jalapeño isn't spicy enough, add another tablespoon of the chopped chile.

Israeli couscous, which is larger and chewier than the more common variety, takes the place of arborio rice in this risotto-style dish.

Start with the first of three small plates (or mezes): this one, the cheese rolls, and the spinach. WHAT TO DRINK: Pour a crisp, dry rosé throughout the meal.

This recipe was created by chef Michael Kornick of MK Restaurant in Chicago. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This tortilla casserole is a great holiday dish to prepare when you want to use up leftovers. Miguel uses shredded leftover turkey as well as whatever vegetables remain from the holiday feast. It is a reliable dish for brunches or luncheons, paired with a seasonal salad. The tangy tomatillo sauce in this dish can also be used in recipes for other chilaquiles as well as Enchiladas Verdes. Though often referred to as "green tomatoes," tomatillos are members of the gooseberry family.

Treat your taste buds to meals that incorporate all six flavors, like this one from Teresa Long, in-house nutritionist at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. _ Contributed by Arnon Oren. Café Cacao, the restaurant in our factory, surprises some visitors. Many expect a coffee bar that serves nothing but chocolate cake and cookies. While we do serve many kinds of desserts, Berkeley residents come more for the savory foods made with cacao nibs. Arnon Oren, our first executive chef, created this fresh, memorable dish. Combining roasted squash with pancetta and crunch cacao nibs brings out the depth and sweetness of the squash, making it taste almost creamy. Prosciutto or any salty cured meat works well in this recipe. _

In the islands, black-eyed peas are known as black-eyed beans.

Named after the heart-shaped callaloo leaves from the taro plant, this traditional stew can be made with crab, lobster, and shrimp, or taro root and coconut milk. But all versions of the dish call for okra and, of course, callaloo leaves. Spinach makes a great substitute for the callaloo.

A gorgeous, satisfying vegetarian main course that's easy to make. Quinoa requires no pre-soaking, so it's as simple to do as rice.

Thai red curry paste adds a spicy punch.