This bright and festive starter is part-salsa, part-ceviche. It’s not meant to be a simple dab to complete a chip, but rather a command to attention with a jumble of shrimp awarded star billing in a kaleidoscope of colorful ingredients. In this concoction, sweet and briny shrimp are lightly poached and steeped in a bright, citrusy sauce that continues to “cook” and infuse the shrimp with flavor. A whole bunch of fresh ingredients are added to the mix, including chile peppers, tomato and corn, which add substance and round out the flavors with juicy sweetness and heat.

The key is to gently poach the shrimp without overcooking, which can toughen them. Simply add the shrimp to boiling water and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. The residual heat will cook the shrimp until they brighten in color and are opaque through the center -- in other words, just cooked. Then let the shrimp cool and chill in the spiced juices, which will continue to marinate and slightly pickle them. All of the other ingredients contribute to a chunky mouthful that’s more than a mere dip.

Serve the salsa with tortilla chips for scooping, or simply spoon it over garden greens and call it a salad. You can also wrap the salsa in lettuce leaves for fun finger food (just pass the napkins). No matter how you serve it, it’s guaranteed to steal the show.

Fiesta Shrimp Salsa

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 6 as an appetizer

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded, diced

1 poblano pepper, finely chopped

Corn kernels from one ear of yellow corn

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 jalapeno chile pepper, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and remove from the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp poach until bright in color and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool to the touch, then coarsely chop.

Combine all of the remaining ingredients, except the cilantro, in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Cover and refrigerate the salsa for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro before serving.

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Pilaf is a simple and delicious grain dish, traditionally composed of lightly toasted rice grains, which are simmered in an aromatic spice-infused stock. And while rice is frequently used in pilaf, it isn’t mandatory. Other grains, such as farro and freekah, can be used, as well as wheat ingredients, including orzo, bulgur and couscous. This recipe is for pearl couscous pilaf. Pearl couscous is also known as Israeli couscous (ptitim) and Italian couscous (fregola sarda). It differs from finely grained North African couscous, which is coarse with air-dried flecks of durum wheat semolina that are typically steamed and served with stews.

Pearl couscous is also made from wheat flour and semolina, but it's rolled into tiny pearl-shaped pieces of pasta and then toasted until hardened. This process produces a nutty flavor, chewy bite and slippery texture, which is incredibly satisfying to eat. Not only that, when you cook pearl couscous, the extra step of toasting the hardened pearls again before simmering in stock burnishes the couscous with a golden color and a nutty toasted flavor.

This recipe method layers in the flavor and produces an understated yet glorious side dish. The grains simmer in chicken stock infused with butter and spices, rippling with golden saffron. Toasted pine nuts, currants and fresh herbs complete the dish. It’s simple and sumptuous and a wonderful accompaniment to meat, fish and vegetables.

Pearl Couscous Pilaf

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Generous pinch of saffron threads

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted until light golden

2 to 3 tablespoons currants or finely chopped golden raisins

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint

2 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley

Warm the stock, butter, salt, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and saffron in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened without coloring, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the couscous and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Carefully add the stock to the pan and stir to combine. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and fluff the couscous with a fork. Lay a clean dishtowel over the pan, without touching the couscous, and place the lid over the towel. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the towel to absorb the steam.

Stir in the pine nuts, currants, mint and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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It's fall, and in my book, that means it's time for apple crisp. When it comes to a good recipe, I follow the popular adage: If it's not broken, don't fix it. This recipe is my go-to recipe throughout the year. The method and amounts remain consistent, and I’ll change up the types of fruit, spices and nuts according to the season.

A crisp should contain seasonal fruits at their peak in flavor, enhanced with a dusting of sugar and spice. The topping should be crumbly and not cloyingly sweet, allowing the natural sweetness of the fruit to shine through. As for the garnish, I prefer the lightness of whipped cream, gently sweetened so it won't overwhelm the dessert -- and preferably fortified with a nip of spirits to complement the fruit filling.

This recipe makes a generous amount of topping -- enough to blanket a 10-cup or 11-by-7-inch baking dish. When assembling the filling, it’s important to have a deep layer of fruit, so feel free to increase the amount of fruit or adjust the shape of the baking dish as needed. Pile the topping on thick, so it will add a delightful cookie crunch to the filling.

If you have extra topping, it can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to one month. There’s nothing wrong with having a little leftover for a last-minute dessert; chances are you’ll be making crisps throughout the season!

Apple Raisin Crisp With Calvados Cream

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecans

3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut in pieces

Filling:

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut in 3/4-inch chunks

1 cup raisins

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Calvados brandy (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to blend. Add the pecans and pulse a few times to break them into chunky pieces. Add the butter and pulse until the topping resembles coarse meal. Refrigerate the topping until use -- you want the butter to stay cold for best results.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the apples, raisins and orange juice in a large bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and toss to combine. Transfer the fruit to a 10-cup baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the filling, letting it dribble down between the fruit and edges.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly to allow the flavors to develop.

Make the cream: Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until traces of the whisk are visible in the cream. Add the sugar, Calvados (if using) and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Serve the crisp slightly warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream.

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