Clam

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The cuisine of Goa, a former Portuguese colony, is an exuberant amalgam of Portugal and India. Liberal use of Portuguese vinegar, along with hot chiles (an import from the New World) and spices, produces the scarlet-hued vindaloo curries typical of this state. The following outstanding Goan seafood curry — a milder variation of vindaloo, and with lime juice replacing the vinegar — features clams steamed with sautéed onion, spices, and fresh coconut milk. They are then tossed with grated coconut, cilantro, and a squirt of lime juice and are generally accompanied by a pao, a soft, warm roll (another Portuguese contribution) for sopping up the juices. This dish is equally good with mussels or oysters.

The juices from the clams combine with spicy Asian flavors to make a great pasta sauce.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Complement this fragrant dish with Asian noodles or steamed rice.

"When I lived on Chesapeake Bay, I had access to the freshest seafood, and I still love cooking with it," writes Bobbi Claibourne of Tucson, Arizona. "Having promised to bring a dish to my in-laws' holiday dinner last year, I paired clams with sausage for this starter, which is now a new family favorite." Offer crusty bread with this to soak up some of the juices.

We decided to serve these shooters in small glasses, so in order for the gelée to slide out easily we made sure the tomato ginger water is thickened but not set. We call for 60 glasses in this recipe, but for simplicity the clams can be served in their shells: Double the amount of gelatin, keeping all other measurements the same, and chill the mixture with cilantro and clams in well-scrubbed shells instead. Whichever presentation you choose, it's very important to cook the ginger thoroughly and to clean the food processor because otherwise the enzymes from the raw ginger will inhibit the action of the gelatin.

You can use small manila clams or cherrystones if you can't get cockles. You can also use mussels, but the cooking time will be slightly shorter.

There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

Chilies add a southwestern twist to this traditional chowder.

Based on a recipe from chef Angel García of Lúculo in Madrid, Spain.

Mario Batali, star of the Food Network's Molto Mario, is one of the top chefs in New York City, where he owns three restaurants with Joe Bastianich — Babbo, Lupa and Esca. This dish, from Batali's book Simple Italian Food, is served at Lupa.

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

Treat yourself to fresh clams for this recipe — they make all the difference. This dish originated in Rhode Island during the late 19th century, when, as story has it, Portuguese immigrants added tomatoes to their chowder. British New Englanders believed their creamy chowder to be superior and named the Portuguese version after Manhattan, presuming that New Yorkers were the only people crazy enough to add tomatoes.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Jody Adams makes this dish in a 14-inch cast-iron skillet with a lid, but since that size is rare in home kitchens, we've adapted the recipe for a roasting pan.