New Zealand Wines

Mai My Lin, one of the chefs Marcia Kiesel met at the Nha Trang night market, prepares an aromatic and pungent marinade for grilled pork with two quintessential Vietnamese ingredients—lemongrass and fish sauce. The real surprise here is Mai's zesty Carrot and Daikon Pickles, which are amazing with the smoky grilled meat.

Pairing: 2009 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling

To serve with his succulent beef rib eye roast, Tim Hollingsworth prepared a surprisingly simple garnish of sautéed brussels sprout leaves, which he mixed with chestnuts and seasoned with ground Sichuan peppercorns.

Pairing: 2008 Man o' War Syrah

Chef Andy Glover used smoked pork, but prosciutto is also tasty.

Pairing: 2007 Kumeu River Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay

Red-orange kuri squash has a pumpkin shape, but no ridges. Its flavor is sweet and nutty, reminiscent of chestnuts.

Pairing: 2008 Babich Winemakers' Reserve Pinot Noir

Donald Link suggests grilling or roasting this fish, then serving it in its hardened skin ("on the half shell"). You can also use a large, flexible spatula to slide the fillets off the skin and onto a platter, discarding the skin, for a more elegant presentation. Redfish—a white-fleshed fish with big scales that are hard to remove—is an ideal choice, but striped bass is great too. You'll have to buy the fish directly from a fishmonger; ask him to leave the scales on the fillets.

Pairing: 2010 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc

Melissa Rubel Jacobson uses a store-bought rotisserie bird in her reinvented chicken salad. She spikes the mayonnaise with chile sauce and toasted sesame oil and adds water chestnuts for crunch.

Pairing: 2010 Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Gris

Chris Cosentino is known for his offal dishes but a hearty fish like sardine, served whole, can also appeal to the nose-to-tail crowd. Cosentino pan-fries the omega-3-rich fish with an exhilarating mix of olives, capers, lemon zest, parsley and chiles. To make this more of a main course, he prepares a crunchy salad of artichokes and sunchokes to eat alongside.

Pairing: 2008 Kato Sauvignon Blanc

Grating tomatoes is a quick way to create the juicy puree that becomes a tangy base for a super-simple marinade.

Pairing: 2010 Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc

Tossed with sweet acorn squash and roasted tomatoes, this whole wheat pasta from Eric Chopin is packed with fiber and vitamins A and C. Olives and toasted pine nuts add heart-healthy fats.

Pairing: 2008 Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir

The cayenne turns this run-of-the-mill flavor into something spicier.

Pairing: 2009 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir