Shellfish

In his cookbook, John Martin Taylor suggests baking and serving the deviled crabmeat in crab backs (shells), a presentation he learned from Alice Marks, one of Charleston's great cooks. But since most people purchase their crabmeat already picked from the shell, we baked our deviled crab in store-bought scallop shells instead. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 50 min

"Athens, Georgia, has a great restaurant called The Basil Press," writes Linda Buchman of Hilton Head, South Carolina. "During my last visit there, chef Andrew Urell prepared an angel hair pasta with curried crab and shrimp. I'd love to try making it at home." At the restaurant, this is served as a side dish for grilled salmon.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min Goodale's, on Second Avenue in New York City, became a favorite watering hole of Gourmet's staff after the magazine moved into its new headquarters at 777 Third Avenue in 1965. Goodale's owner, Perce, was renowned for wearing Bermuda shorts all year round. He also gave his name to this popular appetizer. Baked clams were a favorite first course in the '60s, but were often disappointing mushy mounds with nary a minced clam to be found. Goodale's version, which features whole clams and uses packaged stuffing, is the best and most straightforward we've tasted.

Dottie Stubel of Marietta, Georgia, writes: "While on a trip to Hilton Head Island, my husband and I ate at the Spartina Grill. Everything was phenomenal, but we especially enjoyed the tomato-crab bisque." Chunks of fresh crab make an elegant garnish for this rich soup.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Round out this menu with a salad of snow peas, cherry tomatoes, and bean sprouts dressed with a rice-wine vinaigrette. For dessert, sliced kiwis splashed with rum would be good. Look for the curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, and jasmine rice in the Asian foods section of your supermarket.

To cut down on prep time, use cooked lobster meat, available in some fish markets and supermarkets, or follow the directions below for cooking frozen lobster tails.

The shrimp could also be skewered and grilled instead of broiled. Either way, they're lovely arranged atop pimiento-flecked rice pilaf and served with steamed snow peas and a basket of warm corn muffins. Blueberry or strawberry shortcakes are the perfect dessert.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Pluots are a great stand-in for true plums in this recipe.

The oil-free dressing is delightfully tangy.

This crowd-pleasing dip is a natural with potato chips and good with crudités, too.

Named for a friend of my mother who was a wonderful cook, this recipe is very quick and easy and always elicits lots of requests for copies," Cindy Vogels of Littleton, Colorado. " I often serve this dish as a first course, leaving the shrimp whole, but here they are blended in a food processor to form a delicious spread." Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr