Sometimes the best things in life are actually easy. See food. Make food. Eat Food. Seafood. This grocery-market deli inspired salad can be whipped up quick, lasts a good long time in the fridge, and is begging to be your next side dish of choice when you host your next BBQ.

One of the first times my wife and I went out on a date she took me to her favorite restaurant for chicken piccata. You’d think this would have been a recurring meal that I lovingly made for her weekly, but the chicken was so crispy-fantastic and the velvety lemon sauce so decadent, it seemed beyond my skills in the kitchen. Not too smart of me as this dish is pretty easy to make. Guess my wife didn’t marry me for my brains. Or my looks. Sense of humor? One out of three isn’t bad.

I don’t like salads. You’ll notice that the “salads” in this cookbook aren’t really the salads most of us have grown up with (lettuce; quartered tomatoes; store bought, tooth-chipping, croutons; and a bottle of dressing that you found in the door of your fridge – unknown date of origin). But this “salad” is a vacation to the Mediterranean. It includes a collection of some of my favorite items, all thrown together in a bowl, and then tossed in extra virgin olive oil – so, basically, badass.

It’s a well-known fact that after the Battle of New York, the Avengers enjoyed some Shawarma. But the next day, Tony put his phone on vibrate, gave J.A.R.V.I.S. the night off, and treated Pepper Pots to an amazing homecooked meal. After a day of battling the Chitauri, nothing hits the spot like Italian Food. This stuffed pasta dish can be made with a variety of different meats, cheeses, and/or veggies, but ricotta and spinach are a great pair – kind of like Iron Man and War Machine.

Citrus-seasoned shrimp deserves to be grilled and wrapped in a warm tortilla the same way pigs should be baked into blankets and pizzas should be cooked into rolls. Quality cuisine, all three. This grilled shrimp is delicious on its own, but the fun of tacos is exploring the multiple combinations of salsas, sauces, and toppings. Try these with Mexican Cabbage Salsa, Crema-Verde Dipping Sauce, Guacamole, Green Onion Aioli, or if you’re daring, Ti-Malice Haitian Hot Sauce.

I don’t love soup. Filling up on hot, flavored water before my Surf & Turf is served is unacceptable. There are, however, exceptions. Gumbo, cioppino, pho, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and French Onion top the list. As the best part of French Onion Soup is the toasted bread covered in melting cheese, this recipe reprioritizes the ingredients in the best of ways.

There are two types of short ribs. English Cut or Flanken Cut. An English Cut slices the ribs along and between the bones so that they stay intact between the chunks of meat. But a Flanken Cut slices across and through the bones so that each rib has a thin, round, slice of bone in it. Bones bring flavor. This cut, also called “Korean Style”, is thin (1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick) so they rock marinade really well and cook up quick.

There are also two types of people. Those that have enjoyed the smokey-sweet flavor of Bulgogi and those that will soon enjoy the smokey-sweet flavor of Bulgogi. So do yourself a favor and be a Bulgogi person. Be a Flanken Cut short rib person. Be a happy person and grill up these ribs.

Coleslaw is cabbage. Cabbage is a vegetable. Ya know how I feel about most vegetables. But shredded cabbage is redeemed by adding the nectar of the Gods, mayonnaise. Mayo fixes everything. Car out of gas, add mayo. Broke your leg, slather it in mayo. Don’t have enough money for rent, mail your landlord an envelope full of mayo. This is a classic side dish with both BBQ and spicy food because it helps cut through the richness of smoked or grilled meat and the mayo-based sauce helps cool the fire of spicy wings or other hot-pepper based dishes.

Here is a list of things my son is good at: Everything. He is one of those people that can just do it all. Ya know that TV Show ‘MacGyver’? The one with the guy who disarms a bomb with a paperclip and stick of gum, hotwires a helicopter with a banana peel, and then rebuilds the engine of a Honda Accord with nothing but a Swiss Army Knife. Yep, Joey. When he’s not out having adventures in his custom-built Jeep, he’s sweating over his smoker and coming up with new ways to make me eat my vegetables.

This shrimp packs a punch. If you’re a primitive screwhead that’s afraid of spicy food, don’t you worry. The buttery cream sauce makes this sweet baby a dish you’ll be able to handle. So say the words: “Klaatu”, “Barada”,… um, …, “Creamy-Buffalo-Wing-Sauce-Simmered Shrimp”. You got that? Groovy.