Five-ingredient Frenchy fishIt’s Bastille Day, as good an excuse as any for cooking something festive, French and buttery. Roasted white fish with lemony almondine, for example, fits the Gallic bill with panache. A riff on sole Meunière, the classic dish that made Julia Child fall in love with France (as the story goes), my version features delicate fish fillets topped with a brown butter lemon sauce flecked with toasted almonds and parsley. You can use any kind of mild fish here, but I like thick fillets of cod or haddock, which profit from ample applications of the golden sauce. Serve it with a baguette — and, naturellement, cold glasses of Champagne. Featured Recipe Roasted White Fish With Lemony AlmondineMore food for thoughtCharred cherry tomato pasta: There are many ways to combine cherry tomatoes and pasta, and most of them are good. But Kevin Pang goes a step beyond in his simple, summery take. First, he blasts the tomatoes under the broiler until they char and release all their tangy-sweet juices. Then he adds a little butter, garlic, Parmesan and basil. But in an unexpected twist, he tops each serving with a raw egg yolk, which each person can mix into the sauce to add creaminess and depth. So smart, so fun, so good. Roasted pepper, white bean and mozzarella salad: A 10-minute stunner, this easy dish from Hetty Lui McKinnon combines something from a jar (roasted red peppers), something canned (cannellini beans) and something cheesy (balls of milky mozzarella) into a gleefully easy, cooling meal — no chopping required. Spicy corn and coconut soup: Sarah Jampel’s sunshine-colored corn soup is gently sweet, but with an energizing zap from chiles, ginger and lime juice. To balance the velvety broth, she gives a list of crunchy toppings to choose from to add a snappy bite: chopped peanuts, cashews, toasted unsweetened coconut flakes and crispy fried shallots. Cumin beef and green bean stir-fry: Zaynab Issa turns cumin, sriracha, ginger and soy sauce into a powerful seasoning for a speedy, meaty stir-fry. Inspired by both Hunan and Indo-Chinese cuisines, its complex fieriness is tempered and sweetened by tender green beans. Garlic chicken with guasacaca sauce: This deeply flavored sheet-pan dinner is one of my favorites from Yewande Komolafe, which is saying a lot since I adore every single one of her recipes. There’s something about the crisp-skinned chicken thighs and schmaltzy roasted carrots dipped in lush and bright avocado sauce that makes me want to do the Snoopy dance. Try it and watch it lift your mood. Nectarines in lime syrup: David Tanis’s fruity dessert is a master class in seasonal minimalism: Slice a couple of ripe nectarines (or substitute peaches, and no need to peel them), douse them in lime syrup spiked with orange liqueur, and chill for an hour or two. Voilà — a fragrant, elegant way to cap off a summer meal. Vive l’été! As always, you’ll want to subscribe to access all these smart recipes and so many more (in the realm of tens of thousands more). If you need any technical help, the brilliant people at cookingcare@nytimes.com are there for you. And I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. That’s all for now. I’ll see you on Wednesday.
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