This tasty salad may be served as a light main course or a vegetarian entrée (adding a few more vegetables, if you like, to make it more substantial). Or it makes a perfect accompaniment to roasted chicken, Peach-and-Curry-Glazed Cornish Hens (page 52) or Grilled Salmon with Cardamom-Peach Chutney (page 47).

Using both fresh and dried apricots in this salad produces a nice blend of the concentrated sweetness from dried fruit plus aromatic flavor from fresh apricots. You may also use just one or the other depending on your taste and the season.

1/2 cup sliced almonds 6 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground or grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 box (10 ounces, about 1 2/3 cups) instant couscous 4 ounces dried apricots, chopped 8 ounces fresh apricots 1 1/2 cups finely diced zucchini 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and well drained 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, and ginger with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the stock and bring just to a boil. Slowly add the couscous, stirring constantly, then take the pan from the heat and stir in the dried apricot pieces. Cover the pan and set aside for 15 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and stir to fluff the grains; let cool, stirring occasionally.

When the couscous is cooled, pit and finely chop the fresh apricots and add the to the couscous along with the zucchini, chickpeas, and parsley, stirring to mix evenly. Combine the lemon juice with the remaining 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl and beat with a fork to mix, then pour over the couscous salad, tossing to coat evenly. Taste the salad for seasoning, adding more lemon juice, salt, or pepper to taste. The salad may be served right away, though it will have more flavor if refrigerated for at least several hours before serving.

Spoon the salad onto 8 individual plates, sprinkle with the toasted almonds, and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Pepper steak can sometimes be overwhelming, with such a heavy coating of pepper that you can taste little else. I much prefer a judicious scattering of pepper, though it is best to use hand-crushed pepper that will be in coarser, more dominant pieces than even the most “coarse” setting on pepper grinders. Potatoes, of course, are the ideal accompaniment, perhaps a luxurious au gratin or simple mashed potatoes with a bit of blue cheese whisked in at the end. Rib-eye or T-bone steaks are dandy alternatives to the New York strip called for here.

Cast-iron is a terrific conductor of heat and is the ideal choice for pan-frying steak. Preheat the dense skillet for a few minutes longer than you would other skillets so that it will be at an optimal and consistent heat before you add the steaks. Be prepared for some smoke to rise from the pan, and have the exhaust fan on “high”.

2 teaspoons black peppercorns 2 New York strip steaks, about 3/4 inch thick (1 1/2 pounds total) Salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ounces Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries 1 shallot, minced 1/2 cup syrah or other dry red wine

Eggs and fresh herbs are a magical combination: two very simple ingredients that, when combined, play beautifully off each other. Crab is perfectly at home in the mix. This single-serving omelet makes a mouthwatering presentation and is quick enough to prepare that you’ll have two on the breakfast table in no time flat: the perfect tête-à-tête Sunday brunch. The trick to a good, fluffy omelet is to cook the eggs slowly over moderate heat, so they remain tender and moist. Overheating quickly turns eggs dry and flavorless.

For a change now and then, I like to serve a toasted baguette with my breakfast eggs: cut a baguette into roughly 5-inch lengths, and then cut each piece in half horizontally. Lightly toast the baguette under the broiler, then slather generously with butter.

2 eggs 1 tablespoon water 2 ounces crabmeat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon minced chives 1/2 teaspoon minced chervil 1/4 teaspoon minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 1/8 teaspoon minced tarragon Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper Herb sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat with a fork until partially blended. Add the water and continue beating until the eggs are evenly blended and a little frothy. Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage.

Melt the butter in a small skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the herbs to the eggs, along with salt and pepper to taste, and stir just to mix. Slowly pour the eggs into the skillet and cook until they are nearly set, 2 to 3 minutes. During this time, slowly draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan in a spiral, staring at the outer edge and working your way to the center, then back out. Keeping the beaten eggs in motion helps assure they cook evenly. When there is almost no liquid egg left, stop stirring, scatter the crabmeat evenly over the omelet, and cook until the omelet is set, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Take the skillet from the heat. Using a heatproof spatula, fold one-third of the omelet toward thd center, then fold that center portion again toward the opposite edge of the skillet. Carefully roll the omelet from the skillet onto a warmed serving plate. (Ideally, the “seam” will be on the bottom, thought it doesn’t really matter.) Serve right way, garnishing the plate with herb sprigs, if you like.

Makes 1 serving

Although crab and cheese sandwiches are popular throughout the Northwest, one place that has perfected the concept is the Bait House Café in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Originally, and still, a place where fishermen buy fresh herring bait, the café now has a following of landlubbers who come for the great view of boats on their way to and from the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, for the live jazz on weekends, and for the signature crab sandwich. Owner Sharon Relei’s recipe is a secret, but this recipe is inspired by the Bait House offering, which is often served with a crisp Caesar salad on the side. The cheese may be sharp or medium, depending on your taste.

4 slices sourdough bread 12 ounces crabmeat 2 cups grated Tillamook cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 4 to 5 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably homemade

Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread slices about 4 inches from the broiler element until lightly browned on one side. Set aside on a wire rack to cool. Keep the broiler on.

Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage, and put it in a medium bowl with the cheese and green onion. Toss to mix, and then add just enough mayonnaise to hold the crab and cheese together; if you add too much, the sandwiches will be soft and soggy. Stir the mixture well to be sure the ingredients are blended and cohesive.

Spread the crab mixture on the untoasted side of the bread slices and place them on a baking sheet. Broil the sandwiches until the cheese is melted and the top is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and serve.

Makes 4 servings

The rosemary, lemon, and garlic roasted with the crab in this dish penetrate the sweet meat with delicious subtlety while filling the kitchen with their aroma. This preparation is particularly good with raw crab portions, which will absorb the flavors more than precooked crabmeat will. If using king crab leg portions, partially split the shells before roasting, to allow the flavors to penetrate and to make shelling them easier for your guests.

2 Dungeness crabs (about 2 pounds each), cleaned and portioned (see page 88), shells lightly cracked if precooked, or 1 1/2 pounds thawed king or snow leg portions 6 to 8 long sprigs rosemary (about 1 1/2 ounces) 1 large lemon, thinly sliced 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Lay the crab portions in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top with the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices. Add the olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the crab pieces evenly with the seasonings, arranging them finally in an even layer with most of the rosemary and lemon underneath. Roast the crab until the flesh is just opaque through (use body portions to judge; their flesh will be more visible), about 15 minutes for raw crab, or until the precooked crab is heated through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the crab pieces to a serving platter, surround them with the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices, and serve. Have a discard bowl available for shells, and provide plenty of napkins.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

This is an unusual treatment for your morning bacon, but the spicy-sweet results are quickly addicting. The same process could be used with sliced ham for another breakfast treat. The recipe works best with thick-sliced bacon; if you use thinly sliced bacon the baking time will be significantly less.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 pound thick-sliced bacon

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat andtoat for a few minutes until aromatic, shaking the skillet gently. Let cool, then grind the toasted spices in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder.

Combine the spices, brown sugar, honey, wine, mustard, and red pepper flakes ina  food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Arrange the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes, turning the slices once. Drain the fat from the pan and brush the top of each bacon slice with some of the glaze. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the top is bubbly and glazed, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the bacon over, brush the top with more glaze, and bake until the bacon is nicely caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Serve right away.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

I’ve always felt that rosé wines are the essence of summer (and I know I’m not the only one). They’re light, bright, fruity, and not at all fussy – the perfect summer sipper to enjoy on the patio or at the cabin, with simple grilled food or other causal fare.

The blush of Rainier cherries is especially suited to this sangria. You could use Bings or other dark sweet cherries instead, but they’ll bleed their darker juice and alter the wine’s soft pink color. This drink would be a great use for white-fleshed peach or nectarine, the pale flesh playing off the other colors in the sangria.

1/4 cup water 3 tablespoons sugar 2 bottles (750 ml each) dry rosé wine 1/2 pound Rainier cherries 1 nectarine or peach 1/2 lime, thinly sliced 1/4 cup brandy or kirsch 1 cup club soda

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil, then set the sugar syrup aside to cool.

Pour the rosé into a large pitcher, preferably glass. Pit and halve the cherries and add them to the wine. Pit and thinly slice the nectarine and add it to the pitcher wit the lime slices. Stir in the brandy and sugar syrup, then chill the sangria until ready to serve, ideally a few hours to allow the fruit flavors to blend with the wine.

Just before serving, stir in the club soda, and then pour the chilled sangria into large wine glasses, spooning some of the fruit into each serving.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Stone Fruit

2 fluid ounces (1/4 cup) bourbon 1/2 fluid ounce (1 tablespoon) sweet vermouth 1/2 fluid ounce (1 tablespoon) dry vermouth Dash angostura bitters Spiked Cherries 8 to 12 fresh sweet cherries or 1/4 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup bourbon

If using dried cherries, prepare the spike cherries at least a day ahead: in a small clean jar combine the cherries and bourbon. Cover tightly with the lid, shake gently to mix and refrigerate until ready to serve. For fresh cherries, pit the cherries an hour or two before serving and put them in a small bowl with the bourbon. Let sit until ready to use.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour the bourbon, sweet and dry vermouth, and bitters over. Add a teaspoon or so of the spiked cherry liquid. Top the shaker with the lid and vigorously shake the ingredients to blend. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass. Add one spiked fresh cherry or a few spiked dried cherries to the glass (they'll be a treat waiting at the bottom when the cocktail is finished) and serve right away.

Makes 1 serving