New England

When returning the chopped clams to the pot, try not to heat them for too long, or they will toughen up.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Traditional accompaniments like coleslaw, baked beans and brown bread are ideal with the Vermont-style chicken; afterward, enjoy gingersnap cookies crumbled over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

New England has a large Portuguese population. Their numbers are most concentrated in Massachusetts fishing centers, such as New Bedford, Glouchester and Providencetown, where they've had an important influence on the cuisine. One of their specialties is fried scallops, Portuguese-style--a sauté of bay scallops in butter with garlic and parsley. We've elaborated on the basic dish by adding shrimp, mushrooms, green onions and a white wine sauce. Serve it over rice, and offer buttered peas or broccoli on the side.

Laura Trevino of Washington, D.C., writes: "This hearty chowder is the perfect thing for a chilly evening. Serve it with dark beer and crusty bread or oyster crackers."

The beans need to soak in water overnight, so start this recipe at least a day ahead.

The early Yankees often cooked local shellfish in milk-based chowders with potatoes. True to their English heritage, the colonists planted kitchen gardens with as many herbs as they could cultivate, which they put into all kinds of dishes, including chowders.

Vermont's maple sugaring season is in early spring, and Vermont Grade B maple syrup-which has a more pronounced flavor than Grade A-is available by mail order in quart-size containers from Highland Sugarworks, Websterville, VT, tel. (800) 452-4012.

"Common crackers," good-keeping hard wheat flour crackers akin to ship's biscuits or hardtack, were found in early New England households and often made their way into poultry dressings. In this recipe, we add leeks and large quantities of the kinds of herbs cultivated in Colonial kitchen gardens.

This recipe is intended as a baked dressing to accompany the Thanksgiving turkey . It can be used as stuffing (a practice I do not recommend for turkey), if you desire. It also makes a good stuffing for capon or pork.

A refreshing starter from Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine.

Anadama bread, a traditional New England yeast bread made with cornmeal and molasses (said to have been created by a woman from Massachusetts named Anna), is the inspiration for the following muffins. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This crust is an excellent choice for double-crust fruit pies. For a single-crust pie, simply divide the recipe in half. The dough may also be used for tartlets

Even if your crackers fail to puff, they'll still taste delicious. This recipe is an accompaniment for Scallop Chowder .

(Tomato Cheddar Sauce on Toast) This rendition of Welsh rabbit, popular in early New England, was probably brought to America from Cheshire. Because the recipe substitutes tomatoes for the beer often used, it was considered suitable for children and invalids. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Because they were so abundant, oysters were used as a filler and for flavor in a variety of Colonial New England dishes. They are still the star of traditional stuffings in the region.

Todd English — the chef/owner of Olives and the four Figs restaurants, all in and around Boston — was named Best Chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. He's also the author of two cookbooks. For his "clambake" extravaganza, you'll need a grill with a lid.

Many New England restaurants offer Grape-Nuts pudding for dessert, and several of the best ice-cream parlors make Grape-Nuts ice cream. The crunchy cereal becomes a soft savory note in sweet vanilla-flavored cream.