Parsley

At the beach in Malta, the locals eat fried rabbit, rather than burgers, with fries. I've adapted the recipe by using chicken and sweetening the gravy with a touch of honey.

Here's a delightful variation on the fried-chicken theme, with cornmeal adding welcome crunch. To accompany the meal, serve white wine spritzers and fresh lemonade garnished with mint sprigs.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Fish Cakes with Caper-Parsley Sauce This versatile sauce, which can be made one day ahead, also complements roast beef, hard-boiled eggs or potato salad.

Mary Risley, the director of Tante Marie's Cooking School, says, "I come from a family of Connecticut Yankees, and when I was growing up, I spent every Thanksgiving at my grandparents' eighteenth-century home, which was right across from a turkey farm. I’m not quite sure how, but something in that experience inspired this recipe. (Maybe the ingredients reflect what a turkey would like to eat, if asked.)"

Asparagus Soup with Saffron

The wonderful flavor for the halibut comes from sautéing it with anchovies, parsley, and garlic and then finishing it in the oven along with the tagliarini and its creamy cooking water. Shellfish such as clams, mussels, or prawns are also all delicious prepared in this parsley, garlic, and anchovy sauce. Serve with a dry reserve Riesling, such as Oregon's Argyle Vineyards, 1996.

Pâte de Fromage de Chèvre aux Herbes Fraîches __ Chopped edible flowers add color to the dip. You can find packaged edible flowers at specialty foods stores and in the fresh herbs section of some supermarkets. __

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 18 hr (includes chilling)

Robert Colombi of Paris, France, writes: "My mother was Sicilian and my father, Corsican, but I was born in Morocco and lived there for many years. I learned how to cook mostly from my mother (which is why pasta often turns up at dinnertime), but also from my many travels throughout Morocco (which is why my favorite spices are coriander, thyme, and cumin). As I became older, I developed a stronger interest in cooking, especially after I moved to France and got married. I guess I started to feel very nostalgic about the country of my childhood, and it became more important for me to remember and re-create those tastes for my French friends and family." This intriguingly flavored dish comes together in minutes.

Turkey may not have played as big a part in the first Thanksgiving, held back in 1621, as it does in our contemporary celebration. If turkey was served at all, it was probably one of many game birds, that were served along with venison, oysters, clams, lobsters, and eels, as well as succotash, beach plums, sweet potatoes, leeks and cornbread. My own Thanksgiving menu is intended to pay homage to the foods of the first Thanksgiving , as well as to the foods that have become associated with this holiday. I believe that holidays by their own nature demand that traditional foods be served. In America, there is no stronger correlation between the food and the day than that of the venerable Thanksgiving Day turkey.

Linguine with Walnut Sauce The texture of mixed nuts and bread crumbs makes this an ethereal pasta. When the noodles are cooked and then dressed just right, they taste great even at room temperature.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

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.

If you can't find fresh chervil, use fresh parsley instead.

Janet Fletcher, food writer, says, "Growing up in Texas, where onions were big and tastes were conservative, I guarantee you that cipolline onions were never on the dinner menu. But every generation needs to add its own touch to the traditional Thanksgiving feast, and this Cal-Italian touch is my contribution."

Peeled, split fava beans for this Egyptian falafel are available in most Italian or Middle Eastern grocery stores. Ta’miyya is served with tehina.

A U-shaped peeler with a horizontal blade (available at most supermarkets) makes peeling the squash easier. Here it’s okay to pulse the parsley in a food processor rather than chop it by hand, but pat it dry with paper towels first.