Oyster

This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of cooked beet. Wrap a fresh beet tightly in foil and put it in the oven with the almond cake if you're making this whole menu (if you're not, simply roast the beet in a 325°F oven for 1 hour). You could use canned beets instead, but fresh beets have far more vibrant color and flavor.

Because they were so abundant, oysters were used as a filler and for flavor in a variety of Colonial New England dishes. They are still the star of traditional stuffings in the region.

Here's a perfect way to have the taste of fried oysters without all the extra fat. If the oysters are very large, cut them in half before coating them with the cornmeal.

Pernod, the beloved French anise-flavored aperitif, adds an interesting twist to the sauce. Offer Champagne with the starters.

To go with the crispy oysters, place sliced beets on a bed of frisée and top with balsamic dressing, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Finish with wedges of angel food cake and caramel sauce.

Hangtown Fry This omelet hails from Hangtown, a town northeast of Sacramento that was named for the notorious hangings once held there (it's now called Placerville). The dish seems to have come into existence during the Gold Rush, as the high-priced breakfast of a lucky miner, and later became a specialty at San Francisco's Tadich Grill. It is traditionally served with bacon.

It's very important to use small oysters — such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island — in this soup. The oysters themselves (not the shell) should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. When we tested the recipe with larger ones, the flavor was much too briny.

Laura Trevino of Washington, D.C., writes: "This hearty chowder is the perfect thing for a chilly evening. Serve it with dark beer and crusty bread or oyster crackers."

What northerners call stuffing, southerners call dressing. Oysters and eggplant are a classic Louisiana combination, and the bite of cayenne adds to the authenticity. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Oysters were very much a part of American life in Colonial days, and were cooked in every conceivable manner — boiled, scalloped or steamed; turned into pies and fritters; or, in the winter in Savannah, roasted over an open fire. Here they're presented on the half shell, with shallots, green onions and vinegar.