Nut-Free

This bright vinaigrette is good for a lot more than just grilled eggplant.

The jalapeño's ribs and seeds are the spiciest parts; be careful not to rub your eyes after handling (or wear gloves)!

We love using farmers' market heirloom varieties in this tomato salad recipe.

If you have a metal baking pan, use it; it will chill the mixture faster than a glass one. And remove the granita from the freezer when you scrape it--too much cold air will escape if you do this while the door's hanging open.

Keep a resealable bag of leftover Parmesan rinds in the freezer for recipes like this; they add great depth to tomato sauces and vegetable-centric soups, too.

Grill the tomatoes just before you place the eggplants in the coals.

Beef brisket and a backyard smoker: It doesn't get any more "Texas" than that.

Spatchcocking is the speediest, easiest way to grill a whole bird. It cuts down on time and leaves you with crisp, crackly skin. Weighing it down with bricks means more grill-to-bird contact, which ensures super crackling-crisp skin.

This recipe makes enough brine for one 3½–4-pound chicken or 4 pounds of chicken pieces.

You can use this easy dough for just about any dessert that requires a buttery crust.

An herb marinade is your secret weapon for these grilled chicken wings. And pretty much everything else.

Chef Kenney says that combining the herbs for the salsa verde with seaweed really gives this dish that "fresh-from-the-sea flavor." In oahu, he uses just-harvested lime, but hijiki, which is widely available, works well, too.

Chef Kenney often makes these crepe-like pancakes for his family on the weekend. He couldn't resist including them in this menu as a shout-out to Jack Johnson's 2005 song "Banana Pancakes."

For the record: Sherbets may contain some dairy, unlike sorbets, which do not.

Aperol is similar to Campari but sweeter and less boozy. This recipe works with either one.

Cassy Vires, Home Wine Kitchen, St. Louis: "I like to take a classic pairing and turn it on its head."

There's quite a bit of lore surrounding beer-can chicken, and for good reason. Just look at that burnished mahogany bird. The steam from the brew flavors the meat and keeps it moist. The can props the chicken up, so it roasts evenly--no scorching, no flipping, no stressing. And you get to drink some beer. We're believers.