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ANCHOVIES COME IN three forms: canned, paste, and salted. Canned are most familiar and a nearly ideal convenience food. It’s worth pointing out that you want to buy those packed in olive oil, never soy or cottonseed; the ingredients should read “anchovies, olive oil, salt”—no more.

Anchovy paste is marginally more convenient. But it’s more than twice as expensive by weight as canned anchovies, and it often contains cream, butter, preservatives, and other unnecessary ingredients. Salted anchovies, which are sold in bulk in Italian markets from a large can or bucket, are delicious, but a hassle: before using them, you must rinse them and peel each fillet off the skeleton.

GRILLED CORN

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

DURING THE SUMMER, rushing home with a bag of farmstand corn—which you can get in almost any part of the country—and cooking it out on the grill is a real treat. But if you can’t find locally grown, just-picked corn, you shouldn’t count yourself out of the fun—new breeds of corn retain their sweetness very well. Even if you are buying your corn from the supermarket, just remember that it declines in sweetness as it ages, so it will be best to cook it as soon as possible after you bring it home. If your fire is raging hot, remove the inner silks from the corn and grill them in their husks. But if it’s in the normal range, grill the shucked corn directly over the fire. Ideally, some of the kernels will brown and even char.

4 ears fresh corn

Melted butter (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Start a grill. Shuck the corn.

2. Grill or roast the corn, turning occasionally. When some of the kernels char a bit and others are lightly browned—5 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill—the corn is done. Brush with melted butter if you like and serve with salt and pepper.

GRILLED EGGPLANT DIP

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR

GRILLING IS AN important part of this dish, as it gives the eggplant a smoky flavor that’s hard to come by otherwise. Serve this dip with grilled flatbreads or slices of baguette, or pitas.

1 medium or 2 small eggplants (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of minced garlic, or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

1. Start a grill; pierce the eggplant in several places with a thin-bladed knife or skewer. Grill, turning occasionally, until the eggplant collapses and the skin blackens, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size. Remove and cool.

2. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, part the skin (if it hasn’t split on its own), scoop out the flesh, and finely mince it. Mix it with the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then garnish and serve.

ENDIVES BRAISED IN BROTH WITH PARMESAN

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 40 MINUTES

GROWN INDOORS IN the dark, endives are among the perfect winter vegetables, usually used in salads but also lovely when cooked. This simple gratin benefits from good, dark stock, but the addition of Parmigiano-Reggiano will cover you if you resort to canned stock.

4 whole Belgian endives

1 cup good-quality stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Remove just a couple of the outer leaves from each of the endives; rinse them and put them in a skillet in one layer. Add the stock and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat the broiler.

2. Cover the endives with the cheese and run under the broiler, just long enough to slightly brown the cheese. Serve with a slotted spoon.

FENNEL WITH OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES

FENNEL REMAINS EXOTIC enough to be a treat for many people, and this simple preparation simply elevates its stature a bit. Trim and discard the hard, hollow stalks that jut out from the top of the bulb; if you get your hands on a bulb with its fronds still attached, roughly chop them and add them to the hot oil with the