Creamy, mild eggplant pairs with briny capers, floral basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction for a knockout appetizer or side dish. Get the recipe for Pan-Fried Eggplant with Balsamic, Basil, and Capers »

A simple salad adds fresh contrast to fried strips of pizza dough.

Chef Jim Leiken of DBGB in New York City serves pesto-spiked mayonnaise as a dipping sauce for fried calamari, cauliflower, and chickpeas.

For this simple Italian hors d’oeuvre, delicate zucchini flowers are filled with salty anchovy fillets and batter-fried.

This classic Andalusian seafood dish is traditionally served with lots of crusty bread, to soak up the piquant broth.

Gazpacho’s richer cousin, this cool, creamy tomato soup topped with egg and jamon iberico will have you mopping up every drop with bread.

Salting and draining fresh tomatoes before baking ensures a crisp, flaky crust in this savory tart recipe from the Dominican sisters of Heartland Farm in Pawnee Rock, Kansas. Cut the final product into thin wedges to serve as an appetizer or snack.

There’s a reason this recipe is a classic party appetizer: crowned with jam and wrapped in puff pastry, a wheel of brie turns into a gooey, irresistible treat that’s great eaten with crackers or toast. Get the recipe for Baked Brie with Raspberry Jam »

For this simple appetizer, shrimp are sautéed in smoky bacon fat and served on grilled bread with rosemary.

Associate test kitchen director Farideh Sadeghin relied on this elegant appetizer often when she worked as a private chef—it’s tasty, quick to prepare, and simple to plate. For best results, use the freshest tuna you can find. Get the recipe »

Frozen cherries and orange blossom water make a deliciously sweet topping for creamy baked ricotta.

This satisfying Spanish snack requires only toast, a ripe tomato, some good-quality olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Grapefruit juice, fiery jalapeño, and fragrant ginger transform shrimp, scallops, and calamari into an aromatic, spicy salad. Get the recipe »

The substitution of almond flour for conventional wheat flour in this recipe originated as a gluten-free workaround, but because almond meal absorbs moisture without becoming starchy, it provides structure while keeping the cakes moister and more tender than a traditional crab cake.

These spicy pickles are a delicious accompaniment to a Thanksgiving meal.

Thick, tart, and creamy, this yogurt-like cheese, is perfect eaten with olive oil, pita bread, and za’atar.

Double-skewering scallions ensures they don’t fall through grill grates and allows for easier basting and flipping.

Fresh onions add cool spice to a simple and refreshing parsley salad.

Naturally sweet squash is brightened by goat cheese and lemon zest in this light and tasty appetizer.

Fragrant herbs and anchovies underscore the bright sweetness and acidity of ripe cherry tomatoes in this eye-catching tart from Tuscany—cut into small squares, it makes an elegant appetizer.

Basil vinaigrette makes a perfect topping for grilled eggplant—also try it with other summer vegetables such as zucchini.

Ripe cherry tomatoes add sweetness to crostini topped with fresh ricotta.

Based on a recipe from author Nancy Harmon Jenkins, this Cretan meze dish can be served hot or at room temperature.

These shrimp are cooked in a hot cast iron pan with tons of garlic and red Thai chiles.