Bread

Robert Colombi of Paris, France, writes: "My mother was Sicilian and my father, Corsican, but I was born in Morocco and lived there for many years. As I became older, I developed a stronger interest in cooking, especially after I moved to France and got married. I guess I started to feel very nostalgic about the country of my childhood, and it became more important for me to remember and re-create those tastes for my French friends and family." Reminiscent of lightly fried pita bread, this rustic treat is good for breakfast. It is named after the first inhabitants of North Africa.

Great served warm or at room temperature, this moist, delicious steamed bread can be made in a single loaf pan or in two empty, clean 28-ounce food cans. Offer softened butter or cream cheese alongside.

The recipe calls for spraying the oven with water because extra humidity makes the outside of the bread crusty. Simply use a spray bottle filled with tap water.

You can make this tender corn bread a day ahead.

These Italian-style breadsticks are a deliciously different addition to Thanksgiving dinner. You will need a plastic spray bottle filled with water to mist the oven while the breadsticks are baking (the water makes them crusty and chewy on the outside and slightly softer inside).

The ciabatta does require a simple sponge but it takes only a few minutes to put together the day before making the bread. Though the dough for ciabatta is very wet and sticky, resist the temptation to add more flour. For this recipe you will need a baking stone or unglazed "quarry" tiles. Baking stones are available at cookware shops and by mail order from The Baker's Catalogue, tel. (800) 827-6836. Tiles are also available at the above sources as well as at many tile stores listed in the Yellow Pages.

Fast-rising makes these moist, fragrant breads quick to prepare. Serve them warm, accompanied with butter or with olive oil for dipping.

This recipe was inspired by one from olive oil expert Lidia Colavita. You can make a meal around the bread by offering it as an accompaniment to bean soup.

The deep hollow created by emptying the bread is filled with lots of goodies, and this becomes a deep-dish pizza.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

"Whenever we're in the area, my husband and I stop at the Thompson House Eatery in Jackson, New Hampshire," says Sandra L. Michaud of Newtown, Connecticut. "I'm crazy about the freshly baked lemon bread that sometimes comes with meals there." This sweet quick bread would make a nice breakfast treat, too.

Peter Reinhart, a baking instructor at the California Culinary Academy, says, "Ever since I was a kid, the cranberry relish has been just about my favorite part of the holiday dinner. I love how its juices run in every direction to blend with everything on the plate. Of course, it has to be good cranberry relish, with coarsely chopped berries and walnuts and plenty of orange flavor. The cranberry-walnut braid captures those flavors, and the shape makes a beautiful presentation, too.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This flavorful Italian loaf begins with a biga, the Italian term for "starter dough." Make the biga a day before baking the bread.