Gourmet

We modeled these hors d'oeuvres on the little bombs of flavor that Suzanne Goin invented for her Los Angeles restaurant A.O.C. Each bite delivers a huge range of tastes — sweet, salty, and smoky — all at the same time. They're easy to make and completely irresistible; I can't think of a more appealing tidbit to nibble on.

This recipe makes more broth than you will need for the Sea Urchin Mousse . The leftover broth freezes well — use it for making soups or stews.

This wheat loaf is nothing like your standard "health bread" — the oats make it soft and slightly sweet, ideal for sandwiches or buttered toast.

Jonathan Waxman makes his polenta using stone-ground grits because he prefers their coarser texture. You will, too.

Brussels sprouts, sliced very thin, result in an unbelievably delicate slaw. If you have a really sharp knife and good skills, you could slice the Brussels sprouts by hand, but it's much easier to use an adjustable-blade slicer. Since walnuts are fresh and in season, Waxman uses just-shelled ones in this salad. Pecorino Romano varies in saltiness; you may want to add a little more than we call for here.

If you soak the dried chiles in the morning, they'll be ready by evening.

Michele Verdi-Knapp of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, writes: "The best eggs I have ever tasted were at Seven Gables Inn in Pacific Grove, California. Thank you for the recipe."

Often served with summer rolls or grilled meats, this sauce is also great over rice.

These tangy Cheddar crisps puff slightly while they bake, making them a versatile base for hors d'oeuvres.

This adaptation of a Persian dish is a perfect party recipe because it is so seductive — and it can be done ahead.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course after you set aside half of the veal shanks and sauce to make Eggplant and Veal Pastitsio . Otherwise it serves 8. If you will be making the pastitsio, the reserved shanks will give you an extra marrowbone for each serving of braised shanks.

Most of us have a tough time saying no to the lure of a meatball. Well, here is a batch of meatballs ready for the test. These particular ones, a mixture of beef and sausage, are laid out in a pan, then smothered in crushed tomatoes and seasoned with grated Romano cheese. Then they're baked in a hot oven, which accomplishes two things. First, it saves the step of browning them on top of the stove. And second, the sauce is automatically seasoned with the savory meatball juices and zesty, salty Romano.

Before tasting the oysters served by Tadashi Ono at New York's Matsuri, I was convinced that the best oyster is a naked one. But there is something magical about the way frozen ponzu brings out the sweetness of a plump oyster; add the crunch of tobiko and you have something absolutely extraordinary. In our version, we serve the oysters on a bed of seaweed to keep them flat and to retain their liquor. If you can't find seaweed, substitute a bed of uncooked sushi rice. Traditional ponzu (a soy citrus sauce) is made with fish stock (dashi), but we used a kelp broth instead because we found the stock too heavy.

This recipe is a variation on sole Véronique. We've used tiny Champagne grapes for the sauce — they have extremely delicate skins, so there's no need to peel them.