
A Greek salad is a dish every home cook should master: In Summer the hearty dish is a meal of its own. While a Greek salad traditionally has certain key ingredients, such as tomato, feta cheese, olives, and onions, the term can be used liberally, and you can experiment by adding
Mediterranean elements like cucumbers, spinach, shrimp, lamb, etc.
To get you started, I've found two recipes.

Now is the time to eat specialties like shrimp and King salmon in season, and — as
this chef knows —there's no better way to enjoy the bounty of the sea than preparing a seafood rendition of the traditional Spanish dish
paella.
Paella has a reputation for being difficult to make because of its long cooking time, but the beginner recipe below takes 45 minutes or less to prepare from start to finish. If you've got a paella pan and a little more time on your hands, take a stab at the more advanced version, which is made on the grill.

Fresh lobster with its sweet, succulent meat, is the
quintessential Summer dish. Whether you're new to cooking lobster or a seasoned expert, this shellfish is an opulent meal for alfresco entertaining. If you're a beginner, simply grill the store-bought tails for an impressive meal.

With its layers of colorful ice cream and pretty shape, a bombe is a stunning Summer dessert. Bombes are made by spreading softened ice cream into a mold, one flavor at a time. After the entire dessert is frozen solid, the bombe is unmolded, sliced, and served.

Boston Cream Pie is a weirdly misunderstood dessert. It says it's a pie, but in actuality it's a cake. It also gets the reputation for being rather
finicky to deal with.

Ever since I saw the March cover of
Gourmet magazine, I've been craving cream puffs. However, the recipe the cover featured had ice cream and I prefer my cream puffs filled with lusciously smooth cream — like the ones seen here. Cream puffs are a classic dish that every home baker should artfully master.

Usually I order eggs Benedict at brunch, but lately I've been hungry for huevos rancheros. Huevos rancheros — which translates to rancher's eggs — are tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa making for a spicy, scrumptious breakfast. The eggs are so filling they also make a wonderful dinner.

Chicken Cacciatore is Italian-American comfort food at its best. In this classic dish, chicken is slow cooked in a fragrant tomato sauce, with mushrooms and onions, until it falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. While chicken cacciatore is a regular on Italian restaurants menus, it can easily be made in the comfort of your own home.

Although you can make an upside down cake with virtually any type of fruit, the most traditional is the pineapple upside down cake. This delicious cake is made by placing a layer of fruit in the bottom of the pan and then covering it with batter. After the cake is baked, the pan is inverted and the sugar and fruit juices combine to make a sweet, caramelized cake topping.

Irish stew is a great dish to serve at a
St. Patrick's Day dinner party. In general, stews make wonderful dinner party fare because they're a one-pot meal that must be made in advance.