Shellfish

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At Eli's restaurant, this delicious entrée is prepared with local seafood. The dish is good served with rice.

"While in Sarnia, Ontario, on business, I stayed at the Village Inn and had dinner at its restaurant, Monet's Table," says Melanie Cooke of Calgary, Alberta. "I thought I was being adventurous when I ordered the mussel appetizer my first night there. Obviously I'd lost my sense of adventure when I went back the second night and ordered it again."

Gastronomic lore tells us that the forerunner of this famous lobster dish was actually created at Delmonico's, the well-known New York City restaurant, during its heyday in the latter part of the last century. Mr. Ben Wenburg (or Wenberg, as some believe), a Delmonico's habitué during this period, is said to have devised a dish made with seafood, cream, and egg yolks. It was called Wenburg on the menu until some time later when the epicurean Mr. Wenburg became involved in a dispute with the management. Thereafter, the restaurant renamed the offering seafood "Newburg," and a classic was born.

Although having your guests shell their own shrimp can be a messy proposition, the result of grilling shrimp in the shell-unbelievable succulence-is worth it!

This preparation can be served in scallop-shell dishes for an impressive main course.

An entrée from Bar Italia, St. Louis, Missouri. Herbed breadcrumbs top it off nicely.

From the Bay View Restaurant at The Inn at the Tides, where these cakes are served with a chopped tomato and basil salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Masa Harina is an ingenious addition to these savory shellfish cakes from chef George Mahaffey of The Restaurant at The Little Nell in Aspen.

Here's an easy-to-make entrée flavored with a spicy marinade; the shrimp are nice on a bed of salad greens or with rice.

There's something for everyone in this traditional specialty. Don't forget to soak the bamboo skewers before using them.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.