
Growing up, dessert nut breads were family favorites, and at a young age I discovered that these loaves make great gifts for many occasions. With the first recipe below, you don't have to worry about spending hours in the kitchen to make a delicious, pretty treat for yourself or someone else. Or, if you're feeling more adventurous (and patient), you can opt for a recipe that starts from scratch.

Linguine with clams: The dish is an Italian classic for a reason — because it's a crowd pleaser. Once upon a time, I didn't enjoy eating clams, but I would make an exception for linguine con vongole. The bounciness of the clams, the briny flavors, the chewy linguine flavored with white wine all come together to make the ultimate comfort dish.

Can't make your way to Mexico? Take a hiatus with a Monterrey-inspired meal. While the basic chicken enchilada recipe calls for salsa verde, which often already includes roasted
poblano chiles, the second recipe requires roasting the peppers yourself.

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.