New England

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Traditional New England side dishes like boiled potatoes, corn on the cob and coleslaw are just right with this festive dish. If it's more convenient, thaw two frozen uncooked lobster tails (skip the parboiling). The Goober Ice Cream Sandwiches are perfect to wrap it up.

Legend has it that these cornmeal and molasses rolls are named for a New England fisherman's curse on his wife: "Anna, damn her!" Regardless of what she may have done to upset her spouse, she was a great baker.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you have cooked lamb, beef, or turkey on hand, use it instead of the chicken.

The colonists planted around 150 varieties of apples in New England, many of which can still be found today. Apples show up most often in a double-crust pie, but the crisp is also a superb showcase. Nothing more than fruit baked with crumbly nut, flour, sugar and butter topping, it's as simple to make as it is delicious.

Anadama bread recipes, which date back to pre-Revolutionary New England, all call for molasses and cornmeal for substantial- and delicious- results. This contemporary rendition is no exception.

Standard fare at church suppers throughout the region. New England meat loaves often use crushed crackers rather than bread crumbs as a binder. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve with: Pickled beets and baby potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Dessert: Lemon bars from the bakery.

To me, this is the most authentic and most important recipe in this book. It is the gold standard for chowder: a hearty main course with deep flavors, luxurious texture, and generous chunks of fish, onion, and potato. New England Fish Chowder is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and doesn't require you to be fussy or exact. After making this chowder a few times, you will begin to understand the Zen of chowder.

Lobster stew is a very traditional dish made with lobster, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. You will find this in many restaurants in Maine, the best being the ones with the most lobster. I have embellished on the original dish but have left intact the strong and rich lobster flavor. When Craig Claiborne asked me to put together a New England Thanksgiving dinner, this was the soup I served. It is also great as a hearty main course soup.

"I have prepared the plum torte from Marian Burros’s The Best of De Gustibus many times, and I’ve also tried variations using different kinds of fruit," says Peter Wayne Gagnon of Pineville, North Carolina. "My experiments helped me arrive at my own version of this dessert." Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

New England tradition is behind this hearty soup supper. A mixture of tangy cheddar, Port wine and Dijon mustard produces a terrific spread to nibble on while the chowder is cooking. Pour Sauvignon Blanc throughout the meal.

We always had this coffeecake for birthday breakfasts and other special occasions. Even when we lived far away from Maine, the smell brought us back to Bar Harbor.

Time: About 30 minutes Level: Beginner This is the thin version of the Rhode Island staple that some still eat as an accompaniment to breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are wonderful plain with salt right off the griddle but can be gussied up however you like, although many Rhode Islanders cringe at the thought of a maple syrup glaze. Recipe Synopsis: Mix the batter and fry on a well-greased griddle.

Ken Haedrich, cookbook author, says, "Since moving to New England nearly twenty years ago, I've heated the house with wood-burning stoves. And because our big Thanksgiving gatherings put oven space at a premium, I've often pressed those stoves into backup duty. That's how steamed breads—which can be cooked on top of the stoves — came to be a regular part of our feast. This steamed pumpkin bread provides another way to bring good pumpkin flavor to the meal, too. I also serve my special crescent rolls on the big day. One year, my kids let it be known that they wanted croissants on Thanksgiving, but that seemed like a bit more work than I could handle. Instead, I came up with these sesame crescents—croissant-like rolls with savory onion filling. I guess they did the trick, because nobody says much about croissants anymore. Plus, I can make the crescent rolls two weeks ahead and freeze them. That way, they don't take up any of that precious oven space." Note that this bread needs to cook in an empty 28-ounce food can (such as the kind used to hold whole tomatoes).

The Shakers, who once had a number of active communities in New England, were known for their creative use of fresh herbs in cooking and baking. This savory yeast bread is a typical example. It is delicious freshly baked or toasted the following day.