Rice & Grains

At Canyon Ranch, the ahi is sometimes seared on the grill. We've opted for pan-searing, given the winter weather.

"My husband, Andreas, is from Crete," writes Yolanda Paterakis, "and we have a vacation home on the Greek island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea. No matter where we are, we love to entertain our two children, our three grandchildren, and scores of friends. People often come over in the evening for mezedes and ouzo. For these get-togethers, I always prepare quick, simple dishes because my busy schedule demands it; I write children's and travel books, and I'm the general secretary of the National Society of Greek Writers. I've often thought that cooking is like writing a story — always best when you put your heart into it."

Francoise Joiris of New York, New York writes: "In honor of our firefighters lost on September 11, could you please rerun the article and recipes you published a few years back about Company 18 of the FDNY? This is our local company, and it suffered a great loss of men at the World Trade Center." We're happy to reprint this recipe, named for firefighter Steve "Gonzo" Gonzalez.

These large, hearty cookies are a fairly recent addition to the American repertoire, appearing sometime in the latter half of the twentieth century. Most ranger cookies contain rolled oats and coconut, and some also include pecans and crushed corn flakes. Despite the name, the cookies don't seem to be connected with the Texas Rangers or Texas, or with any particular part of the country, for that matter. These cookies have a rich, satisfying taste and toothsomeness that gives them great staying power and appeal. They are particularly good with a glass of milk.

In this recipe, the delicious taste of risotto is blended with the crispiness and convenience of griddlecakes. They can be reheated in a very hot oven at the last minute.

Karla Medina of League City, Texas, writes: "At a food festival in downtown Houston, I had a sampler plate from Carmelo's Italian Restaurant. The eggplant Parmesan and spicy meatballs were very good, but the polenta was out of this world. I'd love to know how they prepared it."

"On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I was greatly taken with the grits served at the restaurant Slightly North of Broad, on East Bay Street," says Charles C. Gordon of Ontario, Canada. "Is it possible to get the recipe?"

"I go to Spain frequently, and I've tried many kinds of paella there," says Bruce Cummings of Baltimore, Maryland. "Recently, though, I discovered an outstanding one right here in Baltimore, at Tio Pepe Restaurante."

'50s I LOVE LUCY When Ricky and Fred switch roles with Lucy and Ethel ("Job Switching" first aired on September 15, 1952), Ricky decides he wants to make his native Cuban arroz con pollo for dinner. You know there's going to be trouble when Ricky asks Fred if a pound of rice per person sounds right — and sure enough, before long, mountains of rice are bubbling out of a pot, and chicken is exploding from a pressure cooker. Here's a tamer approach. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Poblano chilies (fresh green chilies), tomatillos (green tomato-like fruits), dried corn husks, and Masa Harina are found at many supermarkets and Latin American markets.

Postre de Quinoa Linda Bladholm's South American friend Lilian Zamorano gave us the recipe for this unusual but very tasty dessert. It's made with the ancient Peruvian grain quinoa, which is a common side dish at Peruvian restaurants. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr