Fish

For the opener, spread butter and prepared horseradish on thin baguette rounds, and top them with bay shrimp. Boil small red potatoes and green beans to have alongside the seafood.

A simple but elegant cold dish. The sauce can be made a day in advance.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

A Syracusan recipe adapted from Mary Taylor Simeti's book Pomp and Sustenance.

Complete this one with cherry tomatoes, potato chips, and lemonade.

The signature dish at Américas in Houston. Achiote paste adds earthy flavor and deep red color to the shrimp.

An exotic and light main course. The vinaigrette would work just as well with red snapper.

Hor Neung Pla Duk Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 21/4 hr

Gefilte fish is one of those recipes where touch and taste are essential ingredients. A basic recipe goes this way:"You put in this and add that." If you don't want to taste the raw fish, add a bit more seasoning than you normally would. What makes this recipe Galicianer (southern Polish) is the addition of sugar. For some reason the farther south in Poland, the more sugar would be added. A Lithuanian Jew would never sweeten with sugar but might add beets to the stock. I have added ground carrot and parsnip to the fish, something that is done in the Ukraine, because I like the slightly sweet taste and rougher texture. If you want a darker broth, do not peel the onions and leave them whole.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.