[Photograph: Carrie Vasios] Check out other recipes from An Early Spring Dinner.... More

There is something about creamy saffron mussel anything that just works. Simple mussels, stewed with sweet, just-burst tomatoes, thick sweet cream, and pungent, almost-bitter saffron. I dare you not to drink the broth like soup. More

These scallops are the perfect example of easy. Broil the scallops for 10 minutes and you have sweet, aromatic scallops in spicy butter with bright, citrusy, crispy breadcrumbs. More

The French version of the "complete meal in a box" is the en croûte ("in crust"). Consider puff pastry your packing material. Then pack everything you need for your meal—your protein, your vegetable, your sauce—inside, with the package doubling as your carb. Foolproof. Genius, even. More

Check out other recipes from our cocktail party menu for Carnival.... More

Clam chowder is one of those dishes for which there are a hundred different versions, though everyone will tell you that theirs is the only legitimate one. Cream or milk? Carrots and celery or only potatoes? Bay leaf? Flour? And... More

Adapted from Minimalist Cooks Dinner by Mark Bittman.... More

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[Photograph: Max Falkowitz] Curries from Kerala tend to be pungent, sour, and full of seafood. They're rich, not with cream or ghee, but with coconut milk. There isn't a ton of easily found English-language information on the dish, but after... More

Ceviche might not be traditional Super Bowl fare, but the salsa-like qualities of this version make it a great accompaniment for tortilla chips. The heat of Sriracha along with chunks of tomato, avocado, and seafood give this Sriracha Ceviche all of the best qualities of guacamole, salsa fresca, and ceviche at once. More