Michael Roberts

Pulissery This is the ultimate Keralan rice dish — sour, spicy, and with a strong coconut accent. For more information on grated coconut, coconut oil, and coconut milk. The Indian ingredients can be found at Indian markets and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

Cheera Thoren As cheera is hard to come by, we substituted red Swiss chard. The Indian ingredients can be found at Indian markets and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

(Mussels with Garlic Butter) "I can't stand snails of any kind, not land snails, not sea snails. But I'm crazy for the butter that accompanies them." Thus pronounced a shopper who was buying a large sack of shiny black mussels at Marée Daguerre, the fish stand in the shopping street in the rue Daguerre. This recipes is for mussels broiled in the butter that usually accompanies snails. You can cook the mussels in the oven, covered, or under the broiler. Under the broiler, the mussels open quicker and the butter sizzles faster, cooking the garlic. Baked, covered, in the oven, though, they keep more of the mussel liquor. Either way, it's a divine way to prepare mussels.