Fritter

If you substitute regular bread crumbs for the panko, the coating will be heavier and the texture denser. In this recipe, the peas are soaked but not precooked before grinding, much like in a falafel.

Mix and match: Pair these and the gingered carrot latkes with the celery relish and the apple salsa.

To make these celery root latkes a little easier, you can shred the potatoes, onions, and celery root in a food processor with the shredding disk.

Don't be put off by this recipe if you don't like the slippery texture of okra — it disappears when the okra is coated in batter.

Peekytoe is a Maine rock crab prized by many chefs for its sweet, delicate flavor. Dungeness crab is probably the closest substitute.

Inspired by American Adobo In this 2001 film, a group of Filipino-American college friends get together to eat and share stories about their loves and lives. Their experiences of assimilating to American society vary, but all of the characters recognize their need for the comfort derived from friendship and familiar foods. For this dish, be sure your plaintains are completely black, since the fruit becomes sweeter as it ripens. (Yellow or mottled brown plantains are very starchy and usually take about a week to fully ripen.) Serve these fritters as a snackor pair them with ice cream for a delicious dessert.

The Meyer lemon's moderate acidity ties in nicely with the sweetness of the crab, though standard lemons can also be used.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The following is an adaptation of a recipe originally appearing in Gourmet, August 1958.

For a particularly light and crunchy coating we used panko (coarse Japanese bread crumbs) on these crab cakes rather than regular bread crumbs. Panko is increasingly available in this country, not only in Asian markets but also in seafood shops.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koosé in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre. Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Three Generations of Squash) Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

At the restaurant, these are called truffles and are served on mixed greens with a watercress vinaigrette, but they are also excellent presented on their own as hors d'oeuvres.

These savory pancakes can be an appetizer, a side dish or a meatless main course.