Seafood

This all-in-one main course can be made several hours ahead.

Serve this stew over rice or on its own as a soup. Either way, sprinkle lettuce with rice vinegar and oriental sesame oil for a light salad. Sliced blood oranges and holiday cookies will do nicely afterward.

The wonderful flavor for the halibut comes from sautéing it with anchovies, parsley, and garlic and then finishing it in the oven along with the tagliarini and its creamy cooking water. Shellfish such as clams, mussels, or prawns are also all delicious prepared in this parsley, garlic, and anchovy sauce. Serve with a dry reserve Riesling, such as Oregon's Argyle Vineyards, 1996.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe doubles or triples easily.

Smoked salmon enhances this innovative version of a classic. Potato stands in for half of the yolks to cut fat and cholesterol.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To go with the crispy oysters, place sliced beets on a bed of frisée and top with balsamic dressing, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Finish with wedges of angel food cake and caramel sauce.

My mother had no interest in cooking, but did what she could to get a nutritious dinner on the table with the least possible effort. The concept of a "recipe" was virtually unknown to her. Most nights, dinner was composed of exactly one item from each of the four food groups, for example: a baked potato, boiled peas, broiled chicken, and ice cream. No two ingredients touched each other until they got to our plates. We always had plenty of shrimp in the house (my father was a seafood importer), so my mother took advantage of this food supply by keeping bowls of boiled shrimp with ketchup and horseradish in the refrigerator. Then, on special nights, my mother would give it all she had and make what we called a "dish." We celebrated her efforts at combining ingredients, but the results were never worth the wait.

With the endive leaves arranged in concentric circles on the platter, this is an especially attractive addition to the buffet table.

Serve this appealing hors d'oeurve with cut-up fresh vegetables and breadsticks.

Serve steamed new potatoes and a stir-fry of vegetables with this entrée to round out the meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The coconut milk can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.