Potato

This recipe was created for my ten-year-old friend and cooking student, Evan Chender, who used it for his Thanksgiving feast one year. Fresh ginger really spices up the sweet, meltingly tender yams.

Potatoes are a must on any bistro menu. Here, they are grated and layered with cheese to form a large pancake-like galette.

Fish Salad Cooked in Lime Juice Editor's Note: This recipe and introductory text are excerpted from The Exotic Kitchens of Peru, by Copeland Marks. We've also added some tips of our own below. For a complete guide to Peruvian cuisine, click here. The English title of this recipe is not an altogether accurate description of ceviche since it is the lime (or lemon juice) that "cooks" the fish. Peruvians are justifiably proud of their internationally famous method of serving fish tidbits. A mixed assortment can include squid, octopus, scallops, clams, langostas, as well as pata de mula, a shellfish similar to scallops. Then there are the black scallops of Peru, a rarity. All can be used in a classic ceviche, insuring a variety of textures and flavors.

(GNOCCHI DI SPINACI ALLA BAVA) Spinach adds great color and flavor to these light dumplings. The topping consists of melted butter and Fontina cheese, a product made in the neighboring region of Valle d'Aosta but used for many local dishes.

Porrusalda, or leek soup in Basque, is a very traditional dish. It includes pumpkins, an interesting component in a soup composed of both Old World (carrots, leeks) and New World (potatoes, pumpkin) ingredients.

If you can't find sorghum syrup, a combination of honey and molasses works nicely.

(Tortelli di Patate alle Salsicce con ragù) The recipe makes more pasta dough than you'll need for the tortelli. Roll out the extra, and cut it into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons for pappardelle, 1/4-inch-wide ribbons for fettuccine, or any length and width you prefer. The pasta can then be used fresh, or it can be dried for use at a later time (leave the pasta on floured kitchen towels at room temperature until it is dry). Or use all of the dough for any recipe that calls for one pound of fresh pasta.

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.

For a nice vegetarian meal, offer these latkes with a Greek salad. Stir chopped fresh mint into yogurt to have with the latkes.

Yams are blended with regular russets in a nice rendition of mashed potatoes. If you decide to double the recipe, use a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.

Chilies add a southwestern twist to this traditional chowder.

A low calorie recipe for the microwave.

We've added a topping of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds to a southern favorite.