Mangia

At first glance, these may appear ambitious for sandwiches. But wait: The asparagus can be grilled or parboiled, if you'd rather not fire up the grill, and it can be done ahead of time. The sautéing of the onions takes all of 10 minutes. Which leaves the walnut bread. Now that's what should you use your time looking for here.

Lots of vegetables with wonderful colors and different flavors fill the lightly toasted crust of a French baguette. These paninis, a summer special, should be enjoyable to make. Roast the tomatoes well in advance; wash, dry, and trim the greens and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator; drain the artichokes. In short, leave yourself just the sautéing of the greens to do shortly before se...

There are big, bold flavors in this tasty combination. The ingredients here have a natural affinity for one another and come together without a hitch. Make this easy for yourself by preparing the broccoli rabe sauté in advance. As for the bread, we always recommend toasting it for panini-reason being that you don't want it to be chewy. If ciabatta is unavailable, simply use a baguette, and to...

Roasted vegetables, wonderful bread, and cheese. It sounds straightforward, and it is, in a way. How the parts intermarry, though, is what makes these panini so very good. If you haven't roasted the vegetables ahead of time, roast them all at once, on the same baking sheet. Be sure to keep on eye on them, though, and remove each one as it is done.

We picked up the habit of tortilla in Barcelona, then worked on it in New York. The open-faced omelet, which is what tortilla means in Spain, can be served either at room temperature, as we do at Mangia, or hot, which you can do at home. Just bring the skillet straight from the broiler to the table, with the ciabatta in a basket alongside. And if ciabatta is not available, substitute a large bague...

Given how successful a Spanish tortilla is served as a panino, we thought we'd try it with another open-faced omelet: the Italian frittata. No surprises here-it works beautifully, too. In fact, when it comes to the perfect example of room-temperature food, there may be no better example than the frittata. Serve it as suggested below or in larger pieces for a superb brunch, late-morning breakf...

Prosciutto is now available almost everywhere, as is green olive paste, to say nothing of really good arugula, which means this could be one of the easiest- to-make combinations in this book. If you want to add a little something here, these are lovely served with pieces of sweet melon or pear. There is a way you can make these even more interesting. Use smoked prosciutto in place of the regular....

Once you have a roasted turkey breast on hand, you will be astonished at the number of ways you will find to use it. This is just one very simple example. The capers in the pesto make a sizable contribution. If you don't have parsley pesto, stir capers into a flavored mayonnaise. Or use olive paste or plain pesto. The point is to use the spread, whatever it might be, to provide a burst of big...

Poaching chicken is simple and making the sauce is, too, because it is nothing more than mayonnaise, with all kinds of different Cajun spices added. We've even used whole-wheat sandwich bread!

In our book, any dish made with jumbo shrimp is special. Top jumbo shrimp with a one-of-a-kind garlicky sausage salsa, and the result is worthy of a celebration. That's why we're recommending you serve these with champagne or port. Should you have any of the chorizo salsa left over, add it to scrambled eggs the next day. Come to think of it, buy twice as much chorizo, and make an extra b...

Whereas it is very important to turn whole bell peppers while they char so that they roast evenly, no turning is necessary when the peppers are cut into pieces.

This is a marvelous soup chunky, thick, rich reduction of tomatoes, lightened with a big splash of heavy cream just at serving. Use local or homegrown tomatoes in the summer and well-drained canned San Marzano tomatoes when really good tomatoes are no longer available. A bowl of this with country-style bread, and you have a treat in store. 

If soup with both extraordinary color and flavor sounds intriguing, then make this, but when you do, use only ripe yellow tomatoes. Anything less, and you will be disappointed. Of course, you can also make this with red tomatoes, but you'll miss out on the color, which is part of the pleasure. With the exception of roasting the peppers, which can be done ahead of time, no other cooking is req...

You will be raiding your vegetable garden (or the farmstand or produce department) when you make this soup! And it is the shopping that takes the time. The soup itself is a breeze to put together. If you have homemade chicken broth, by all means use it. Otherwise, choose a good-quality canned broth, not too salty, so that the flavor of each of the many vegetables shines. And while we would like to...

If you grow zucchini in your garden and are looking for ways to use up the proverbial bumper crop, this recipe is an excellent place to start. It is elegant and easy to prepare on a hot summer's day. The basil mascarpone cream lends a luxurious note. For maximum flavor, be sure to bring the cheese to room temperature before adding the herb to it. When you are entertaining, Wild Rice and Roast...

We call his lentil soup"Moroccan" simply because we added some traditional Moroccan spices, to supply flavor that is usually provided by either meat broth or the addition of a ham hock in the best-made lentil soups. And while harissa is Tunisia's renowned very hot chili sauce, it is frequently used in Moroccan cooking and even thought by some to be Moroccan in origin. (Perhaps we sh...

Mangia's black bean soup is thick and luscious. The fresh salsa lends zip and beautiful color. We make it with 2 serrano chiles, seeded, which lend just enough heat. If mild salsa is more to your liking, use 1 serrano, or go with one small jalapeño pepper, which tends to be less hot.

Beans, vegetables, and water are the basic components of many of northern Italy's world-renowned soups. A long, gentle cooking time guarantees the melding of textures and flavors. Here we've used chicken broth as the liquid and added thin slices of prosciutto as a sophisticated accent just before serving. Make a pot of this on a cold winter's day, enjoy the aroma that will fill your...

The Middle Eastern dish hummus, made of pureed chickpeas and tahini (sesame seed sauce), is justly renowned not only for its rich flavor but also for its remarkable versatility. It can be used as a dip, spread, or sandwich filling. It also lends itself to any number of variations- the addition of roasted garlic, for example, or hot spices. Given its appeal, we were wondering one day what it might...

A relative of lettuce, radicchio is shaped like a small cabbage and has a similar crunchy texture and reddish-purple color. Its slightly bitter flavor isn't very interesting raw, but when grilled or roasted, it makes a strong statement. Grill the radicchio for this sandwich when you are using your grill to cook something else; then refrigerate it until ready to use. Covered, it will keep 1 da...

You can make this simple sandwich on other breads as well, in addition to focaccia, as long as you choose a soft bread, with no major flavoring. You don't want to intrude upon the flavor and fragrance of the salmon roe. This is an excellent example of a very ordinary sandwich that is transformed by a spoonful of something special.

This is a delicious vegetarian sandwich that is light and just right for a summer lunch on a hot afternoon. The reason for the extra step of "washing" the feta cheese the night before is to remove some of its saltiness. It is a simple procedure, requiring nothing more than changing the water once or twice, and it makes a difference in the way the feta tastes. We have tapenade on hand as...

Even those who cannot go a day without meat will be happy with this satisfying sandwich. And while at first glance this may seem like a summer sandwich, it is wonderful year-round, especially in the fall or winter, when it makes the perfect complement to a bowl of hearty soup. The parts can be made beforehand: the peppers, well in advance, and the mushrooms, several hours ahead.

Smoked mozzarella serves as the perfect counterpoint to the juiciness of roasted tomatoes here. Warming these sandwiches in the oven so that the cheese has barely melted makes this combination totally unforgettable. Good country bread is a must. Smoked mozzarella is becoming more widely available, but if you can't find it, fresh mozzarella can be substituted. It won't be the same sandwic...

There are everyday sandwiches and then there are heavenly combinations like this one the sweet, white flesh of tilapia crisply fried and sauced with olive-flecked tartar sauce. This is a sandwich for company, room temperature food of exactly the right kind-full of flavor, sophisticated, but easy to make. Accompany it with a bottle of good chilled white wine; then while away a summer afternoon. For...