Oregano

The honey does not sweeten the chops-it just helps them brown. For an authentic accompaniment, uncork a bottle of the pungent resin-flavored Greek wine called retsina, or simply opt for a favorite Sauvignon Blanc. Serve coffee ice cream and purchased baklava to complete the menu.

Broil or sauté an assortment of red, green and yellow bell pepper strips to serve alongside the chicken, and complete the main course with orzo pasta tossed with olive oil. Baklava from the bakery and strong coffee finish this Greek-themed meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Tomatoes from the garden are put to good use in this salad.

This delicious and easy-to-make salad would be nice with grilled lamb or steak.

Candida Sportiello writes: "As owner and chef of Il Giardino restaurant, I've been cooking professionally for twenty-five years — but I've been cooking for pleasure for a good fifty years. As is the Italian way, most of my favorite recipes were handed down from my mother and grandmother, so they date from the early 1900s."

Grill thick slices of parboiled potatoes alongside the beef and serve a chunky tomato salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Purchased vanilla custard or pudding topped with fresh berries is a lovely way to end the meal.

Fresh Ricotta, Anchovy, and Oregano Toasts Crostini refers to a whole family of antipasti based on thin slices of bread, toasted, sometimes brushed with olive oil, and covered with any number of savory toppings. If you can, buy fresh anchovies and marinate them yourself or buy them already marinated from an Italian or Hispanic deli (where they are known as alici marinati or boquerones respectively; see note below).

The recado is a dry rub that gives a burst of flavor to almost any meat or vegetable but is particularly wonderful on beef and corn.

Annatto seed seasoning paste

A low-fat version of the Mexican soup.

We seasoned this salad — based on the Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush — with za'atar, a mixture of salt, sumac, sesame, and thyme.