Arugula

Until recently, arugula was considered trendy, the salad leaf of latte drinkers. The flamboyant performer Dame Edna once spent an entire act mocking it. Olivia’s Organics baby arugula ($3.99 for 5 ounces), cheerfully packaged with drawings of children on the label, suggests the spicy and tangy green has fewer pretensions. The brand was started by Mark DeMichaelis in Chelsea four years ago. He named it for his daughter, Olivia. The parent company, State Garden, traces back to his grandfather, who sold celery hearts at a produce stall in Faneuil Hall.

Serves 4 Mesclun mixes are readily available in markets, always the same, and dull after a while. Here, you create your own blend with young greens or a mixture of miniature lettuces. Kale salads are all the rage right now. Choose baby leaves for their delicate texture and pair them with spicy arugula. Use authentic Italian Parmesan; the flavor stands out. Juice of 1 large lemonSalt and pepper, to taste¼cup freshly grated Parmesan¼cup olive oil5ounces (about 6 cups) baby kale5ounces (about 6 cups)

Serves 4 Most people eat arugula greens (also known as rocket), which have a lemon-pepper flavor, in a salad. But this leafy vegetable is also wonderful in a pesto or to dress up a pizza or pasta. Buy it by the bunch, remove the stems, and thoroughly rinse the leaves, which can be quite sandy, in cool water. To make this pasta, cook spaghetti, and while it bubbles, saute red onion, garlic, and lime rind in olive oil, then add the spaghetti to the pan. Toss with lime juice, a dash of cayenne, chopped basil, and a few cups of arugula.

Serves 4 The key to great texture with squid is to just barely cook it through. Once it is white and firm, it has cooked long enough. Use Turkish Maras pepper or Spanish smoked paprika. 3  tablespoons olive oil  1  pound squid bodies and tentacles  2  cloves garlic, thinly sliced  1  can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed  1/4  teaspoon Turkish Maras pepper or Spanish smoked paprika   Salt and black pepper, to taste  3  large handfuls (about 3 cups)

Serves 4 Use a mix of red- and yellow-fleshed watermelon, or red-fleshed only. A seedless watermelon is ideal. When tossed with the green hues of arugula and avocado, the colors are as vibrant as the taste. It makes a fine luncheon dish, or an elegant first course. 1 large bunch arugula, stems removed 1 ripe avocado 1 lemon, halved 1 piece (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)

Serves 4 as an appetizer . To make sure nothing falls through the grill rack, skewer the pieces first. You can also use a stove-top grill pan (a skillet with raised ridges) or cook the squid in a skillet over high heat. 1 pound cleaned young squid, bodies and tentacles separated Grated rind of 1 lemon 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup...

Serves 4 Burrata is a firm white cheese with a creamy center, something like mozzarella, but creamier. You can buy it at Formaggio Kitchen (617-354-4750) and South End Formaggio (617-350-6996) or substitute a good locally made mozzarella. 1/2 long Italian bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 2 medium tomatoes, cored 1 tablespoon water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Salt and pepper, to...

Serves 8 5 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup walnuts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 firm Bartlett pears 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 pound arugula, stemmed...

Serves 4 AIOLI ½ head of garlic Olive oil (for sprinkling) Salt and pepper, to taste ½ cup mayonnaise Juice of ½ lemon 1. Set oven at 400 degrees. 2. Cut ½ inch from the top of the garlic and discard it. Set the head on foil. Sprinkle the cut side with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Enclose it in the foil and set in a small baking dish. Roast for 1 hour or until the cloves are very soft when pierced with a skewer.

Serves 4 The key to great texture with squid is to just barely cook it through. Once it is white and firm, it has cooked long enough. Use Turkish Maras pepper or Spanish smoked paprika. 3  tablespoons olive oil  1  pound squid bodies and tentacles  2  cloves garlic, thinly sliced  1  can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed  1/4  teaspoon Turkish Maras pepper or Spanish smoked paprika   Salt and black pepper, to taste  3  large handfuls (about 3 cups)

Katie Rooney grew up baking with her mother and grandmother, whose buttery scones, rich spanakopita, and baklava were some of her favorite comfort foods. Two years ago, Rooney took her Greek family recipes, put her own spin on them, and started 3LittleFigs, selling her pastries at local farmers' markets and shops. Before long, the self-appointed ‘‘Big Fig" had a following. Now, with the help of two other "Figs," her mother, Kathy Gulde, and sister, Caroline Gulde, Rooney recently opened a bright, cozy 18-seat bakery cafe in Somerville, with white and azure walls.

Serves 4 AIOLI ½ head of garlic Olive oil (for sprinkling) Salt and pepper, to taste ½ cup mayonnaise Juice of ½ lemon 1. Set oven at 400 degrees. 2. Cut ½ inch from the top of the garlic and discard it. Set the head on foil. Sprinkle the cut side with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Enclose it in the foil and set in a small baking dish. Roast for 1 hour or until the cloves are very soft when pierced with a skewer.

Two figures emerge from the shadows: A man and a woman slow dancing under the twinkling white lights clinging to trees on the chiaroscuro that is Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Snowflakes fall on the scene, as if we are in the midst of a schlocky but sweet John Cusack flick. I never thought of Boston — my home for the past seven years — as a particularly romantic getaway possibility. But I fell for her hard on that January night. This love story starts with a weekend free of commitments.

Serves 6 VINAIGRETTE Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 1/2 jalapeno pepper,...

You might not think, in a less-than-stellar economy, that there’d be room for a new, high-end restaurant in the suburbs. But as owner-chef Paul Wahlberg has proven, there’s always room at the top. The top, in this case, is actually the side — the waterside. Alma Nove is nestled 15 feet from Hewitt’s Cove in Hingham Harbor, at the very rear of the still-developing Launch at Hingham Shipyard complex. The beautifully appointed, new building seats 119 (indoors) in warm brown leather chairs, bar stools, and banquets beneath a towering, circular ceiling.

Serves 4 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed Juice of 2 lemons 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 1 head red or green leaf lettuce, cored and torn up 1 head frisee, torn up, or arugula, stems removed ...

Serves 4 Think spicy tuna and a sushi bar comes to mind. But there are other ways to meld rich fish and hot condiments. One is this composed canned tuna salad, made with the same spicy sauce used in those popular sushi rolls. You can make the same dish with shrimp, grilled salmon, smoked salmon, or leftover roast striped bass. The sauce begins with ordinary mayo, to which sesame oil and a few squirts of the Thai hot sauce sriracha are mixed in - enough to make a lip-tingling, faintly pink-colored sauce.

Serves 4 Mesclun mixes are readily available in markets, always the same, and dull after a while. Here, you create your own blend with young greens or a mixture of miniature lettuces. Kale salads are all the rage right now. Choose baby leaves for their delicate texture and pair them with spicy arugula. Use authentic Italian Parmesan; the flavor stands out. Juice of 1 large lemonSalt and pepper, to taste¼cup freshly grated Parmesan¼cup olive oil5ounces (about 6 cups) baby kale5ounces (about 6 cups)

Until recently, arugula was considered trendy, the salad leaf of latte drinkers. The flamboyant performer Dame Edna once spent an entire act mocking it. Olivia’s Organics baby arugula ($3.99 for 5 ounces), cheerfully packaged with drawings of children on the label, suggests the spicy and tangy green has fewer pretensions. The brand was started by Mark DeMichaelis in Chelsea four years ago. He named it for his daughter, Olivia. The parent company, State Garden, traces back to his grandfather, who sold celery hearts at a produce stall in Faneuil Hall.