Fry

Ginger and crushed red pepper help round out the Thai theme of this quick dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve these patties over <epi:recipelink id="106530"">gingered noodle salad</epi:recipelink>.

Melt some butter in maple syrup to drizzle over these slightly crunchy hotcakes.

Even though they are most often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, potato pancakes have a year-round appeal. Here they are given a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of flour made from chick-peas - the dominant flavor in falafel - as well as chilis, herbs and spices. Pour a dry white wine. For dessert, present fruit and some halvah. Chick-pea flour is available at Middle Eastern and Indian markets.

A perennial favorite: soft melted cheese and pressed, buttery toast.

We like to team this with red and green cabbage coleslaw, pickled onions and carrot sticks-as well as a pint of ale. Have lemon ice cream cones for dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pretty and delicious, this pasta has plenty of vegetables, lots of snap and crunch, and a terrific Asian-style peanut sauce.

At Hanukkah I always made potato pancakes at the last minute so we tried my recipe but added zucchini to change the color. I wrang out the hand-grated potatoes in a tea towel and got rid of as much of the liquid as possible but retained the starch. I always add scallions, onions, and eggs but no filler. Rochelle Rose, mother of the proprietors of Mrs. Simpson's Restaurant This recipe was created at the first of Mrs. Rose's sons' restaurants, 209 1/2, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This recipe appeared in the "You Asked for It" column in Gourmet magazine in 1977.

Paired with homemade salsa, these old-fashioned fried green tomatoes get a nineties update.

Toasted coriander seeds and radishes give this salad — a twist on the classic frisée aux lardons — an appealing spiciness. In typical French fashion, the salad is served after the main course and before dessert. Accompany this with fougasse, a large Provençal flatbread, or other French bread.