Gourmet

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chef Susan Goss says that the secret here is in her cast-iron skillet. Nonstick pans produce anemic, soft corn bread. This recipe also works well with corn-stick or muffin molds, as long as they’re well-seasoned cast iron. If your pan is hot enough, the batter will immediately rise and start to cook around the edges. (The restaurant’s skillets rarely leave the oven.) At Zinfandel, the corn bread is served with a wonderful spread. To make it, combine 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey (another honey or pure maple syrup can be substituted).

This recipe was created to accompany Red Snapper Papillotes with Lemon and Thyme . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

What the New Sammy's menu describes as a broth is really a purée. The dish is somewhat monochromatic, but its fascinating flavor spectrum will make your mouth extremely happy.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"I've been telling everyone about the absolutely incredible birthday meal I had at Park Avenue Café here in New York City," writes Sherri Steinfeld Maxman of New York City. "The knee-weakening menu included Burke's famous "pastrami" salmon; a morel flan served with eggshells nestled in eggcups; basil-rubbed rack of lamb with oven-dried tomato ravioli; Camembert fondue with truffle essence; and a dazzling array of desserts." Executive chef David Burke uses the term fondue freely, in this case applying it to a truffle-flavored cream sauce served with a slice of Camembert. He likes to use Hudson Valley Camembert, a blend of sheep's and cow's milk. It is available by mail order from the cheesemaker, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in Old Chatham, New York , tel. (888)743-3760.

An early version of this recipe appeared in Fannie Farmer's 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.