Cookthink

Pasta with strawberries? You'll be surprised. As Sfloglia Trattoria discovered when it put a similar pasta on its menu, the balsamic cuts the strawberries sweetness and adds enough acidity to make the sauce taste like a floral, complex tomato sauce.

Sardinian Paella

More than 400 years of Spanish occupation left Catalan influences on modern Sardinian cooking. Unlike traditional Spanish paella, this dish uses fregula instead of rice, only fresh seafood (no chorizo) and a robust fish stock. Read more about this recipe in Efisio Farris' Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey.

Linguine With Clams, Fennel, Leeks And Saffron

This dish has so much flavor and so little fat. The original recipe was written for 10 servings, so feel free to double these amounts for easy entertaining. Read more about this recipe in the Washington Post.

Spaghetti With Clams, Chardonnay, Lime and Cilantro

One helping of this fresh, flavorful dish and you won't go back to clam sauce made with canned clams and dried herbs. Read more about this recipe on the Washington Post.

Mussels With Tomato, Pastis And Wine

Don't be fooled by how fancy they look -- mussels are the ultimate easy seafood. Clean them, sauté them, steam them up, and presto -- you'll have a dish everyone will "ooooh" over. With the addition of pastis, these have a decidedly Provençal flavor.

Grilled Tarragon Chicken With Carrots

This recipe was born of necessity -- as in, more guests than expected showed up for dinner one night when there was lots of tarragon on hand. This chicken tastes great cold, too. Read more about this recipe at the Washington Post.

Tarragon, Chive And Caper Deviled Eggs

The beauty of the deviled egg is the ease of preparation, the endless variations -- and the fact that they are a real crowd-pleaser at cookouts and picnics. Read more about this recipe at Coconut & Lime.

Sausage Roll With Peppers, Onions And Mustard Dressing

Poaching is a quick and easy way to cook sausage, but it would be delicious grilled, too. Read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.

Lamb Kebab On Rosemary Skewers

Rosemary skewers are a perfect complement to lamb. An intense craving for Greek food could only be more satisfied with a visit ro the country itself. This recipe was featured in Root Source: Rosemary. It comes from Madeline's Adaptations.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

When you clean out your pumpkin to make a jack-o'-lantern, save the seeds to toast for a salty, spiced snack. Most winter squashes, such as Hubbard, butternut and acorn also contain edible seeds.

Creamy Dilled Potato And Sauerkraut Salad

The bright acidity of sauerkraut -- plus a hit of lemon zest and juice -- gives a lift to creamy dilled potato side salad that works well alongside fish, meats, leafy salads and sandwiches.

Greek Cheese Pie

Tiropita is a classic Greek pie made with feta custard in a crisp phyllo dough crust. It's also frequently folded into triangles and served as an hors d'oeuvre.