Pancake

A tablespoon of sugar may be added to the batter for sweet crêpes, but with more they tend to scorch.

You can form the sweet-potato pancakes up to six hours ahead, leaving only a quick frying before serving.

This recipe comes from the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Ever since R.C Van Dyne from Wilmington, NC tasted farinata in Alessandria, Italy, he has been wanting to make it. We obtained this recipe from Rose Pistola restaurant in San Francisco, where they serve their own farinata. Farinata is a thin, crisp, pizzalike pancake made from chick-pea flour. When we called Rose Pistola, we were thrilled to learn that the recipe had already been reworked for the home cook by Peggy Knickerbocker, coauthor with chef Reed Hearon of The Rose Pistola Cookbook: 140 Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite North Beach Restaurant (out October, 1999 from Broadway Books). The following recipe makes three farinata, but they must be baked one at a time. We suggest opening a bottle of wine, hanging out in the kitchen with friends, and eating the farinata as they come out of the oven. For best results, use a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron round griddle, about 3/8-inch deep, that can hold about 1 cup batter. Farinata can be made in a regular cast-iron skillet, but it won't be quite as crisp or easy to remove.

These puffed little squares of pancake, based on Austria's Kaiserschmarrn, are delicious with a quick fruit sauce: Thin your favorite jam with a little water and lemon juice, then heat until hot.

If you are new to making crêpes, you may want to make an extra half batch of batter to allow for a few imperfect crêpes.

This classic Swiss potato pancake and the Green Bean and Red Onion Salad are great together. Serve dry Champagne throughout the meal.

Rather than frying many batches of small latkes on the stove, you can prepare two large ones that are browned in the oven, then cut into wedges. Offer the Three-Apple Applesauce alongside.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

From Figtree's Cafe in Venice, California.