Flour

Ever since R.C Van Dyne from Wilmington, NC tasted farinata in Alessandria, Italy, he has been wanting to make it. We obtained this recipe from Rose Pistola restaurant in San Francisco, where they serve their own farinata. Farinata is a thin, crisp, pizzalike pancake made from chick-pea flour. When we called Rose Pistola, we were thrilled to learn that the recipe had already been reworked for the home cook by Peggy Knickerbocker, coauthor with chef Reed Hearon of The Rose Pistola Cookbook: 140 Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite North Beach Restaurant (out October, 1999 from Broadway Books). The following recipe makes three farinata, but they must be baked one at a time. We suggest opening a bottle of wine, hanging out in the kitchen with friends, and eating the farinata as they come out of the oven. For best results, use a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron round griddle, about 3/8-inch deep, that can hold about 1 cup batter. Farinata can be made in a regular cast-iron skillet, but it won't be quite as crisp or easy to remove.

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.

In the South we grow up loving catfish, which is plentiful in the bayous and rivers. Now it's farm-grown and northerners are discovering its mild and versatile flavor. We coat bite-size fingers of catfish fillets with plenty of Tabasco sauce and deep-fry them for a knock-your-socks-off appetizer.

Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture. These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

The coffee foam attains its consistency with the help of a charged siphon. If you don't own one, don't worry—the coffee mixture can also be served, chilled but unfoamed, as a sauce. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Maple syrup isn't exclusive to New England; Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin produce it, too. And walnuts — a perfect partner for maple syrup — are harvested throughout Missouri. The sweet syrup and crunchy nuts team up here in an old-fashioned pound cake.

The chef bakes individual tarts in small cast-iron pans, but he suggests that the home cook make one large tart. He serves each tart with a scoop of his own vanilla-bean ice cream and a "barber pole" of dark and white chocolates.

You can make this tender corn bread a day ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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.

(Spicy Chicken Crêpes)

Even though they are most often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, potato pancakes have a year-round appeal. Here they are given a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of flour made from chick-peas - the dominant flavor in falafel - as well as chilis, herbs and spices. Pour a dry white wine. For dessert, present fruit and some halvah. Chick-pea flour is available at Middle Eastern and Indian markets.