Gourmet

(Brutti-boni) Brutti ma buoni (which means "ugly but pretty") are cookies found in many regions of Italy, usually made from finely ground almonds in a meringue base. But the Mattei bakery, in Prato, makes them in typical Tuscan style, which is quite different. The egg whites are only beaten lightly, and the nuts are coarsely ground. They are known in the Tuscan dialect as brutti-boni.

The gentle sweetness of this simple side dish goes well with the slightly spicy flank steak .

At the Marriott Downtown, in Anchorage, chef Patrick Hoogerhyde serves this as a starter, but we like it as a main course.

Our food editors agree that this is one of the best-tasting and most elegant shepherd's pies they've ever had. The recipe is not as complicated as it appears at first glance—the different components all come together to make a complete meal in a single dish. The potatoes are stiffer than the average mash because they will be forming the crust for the pie.

This simple yet rich stuffing uses coarse bread crumbs from a baguette instead of cubes. The Cognac really brings out the flavor of the herbs. It's adapted from James Beard's tarragon crumb stuffing recipe, published in Gourmet in December 1983.

For this recipe you will need a large marble slab or other heatproof work surface (about 20 by 20 inches) and a bench knife-a rectangular metal blade used for cutting and lifting doughs (do not use a plastic pastry scraper). Bench knives are available in cookware shops. The candies can be individually wrapped in wax paper or candy wrappers.

If you can't find jícama-a sweet, crunchy root vegetable eaten raw-use English-cucumber rounds or put the crab mixture in a bowl and serve it with tortilla chips. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.