Deep-fry

These can be served on a salad of baby greens. Toss the greens with tarragon vinaigrette and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

The fritter tradition harks back to West Africa, where frying in deep oil is one of the major cooking techniques. In the African Atlantic world, fritters can be served as appetizers, as a vegetable, and even as a dessert, as they are here. My maternal Grandma Jones had a way with fritters. She would prepare them from the overripe bananas that she found at low prices at her local greengrocer's.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 10 minutes

If you can't get cotija cheese, you can substitute feta — it's stronger in flavor and a bit saltier than cotija, but it works fine. Archibald also makes a version of this salad topped with shavings of Manchego cheese.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Called "Uncle Johns" in the Monegasque dialect (or barbajuans), these little fried pouches are filled with pumpkin, leeks, rice, and Parmesan cheese. Like their Italian cousins — the tortelli di zucca from Lombardy — they are prepared like ravioli, but the similarity ends there. The dough, though not a pasta dough, is very thinly rolled and made with olive oil. The barbajuans are fried to a golden crispiness rather than boiled or baked, and they are served with aperitifs rather than as a first course.

In the South we grow up loving catfish, which is plentiful in the bayous and rivers. Now it's farm-grown and northerners are discovering its mild and versatile flavor. We coat bite-size fingers of catfish fillets with plenty of Tabasco sauce and deep-fry them for a knock-your-socks-off appetizer.

The fennel mayonnaise below makes an excellent dip for these zucchini spears if serving them as an hors d'oeuvre. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Garlic Dijon Skirt Steak. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Cebollas Fritas) These egg-battered onions have a sweetness that marries well with rich dishes such as Churrasco de Sao Paulo a la Parilla .

For a real southern meal, pair this dish with the bacon scallion hush puppies.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These can be served as hors d'oeuvres, or placed atop a salad of spinach, walnuts and sliced apples.