Shellfish

Lobster and truffle oil give this dish the true stamp of indulgence.

Squid is popular all over the Mediterranean; it's especially good in this tangy dish, which is nice as an appetizer. If you would like it to be less tart, just stir in a little extra olive oil before serving.

Here is a terrific lower-fat version of the classic New Orleans dish.

Sole mousselines are a culinary classic — we added scallop to bring in a note of sweetness that perfectly balances the fresh flavor of the cucumber soup. The mousselines would also be delicious served on their own with a beurre blanc, or the purée could be spread and baked in a loaf pan and served as fish pâté. This recipe is an accompaniment for Warm Cucumber Soup with Scallop and Sole Mousselines.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. =

This dish is ideal for entertaining, because you can prepare the sauce ahead and then simply toss it with the cooked pasta. Do not overcook the shrimp!

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

If fresh chervil is unavailable in your area, substitute fresh basil leaves for the oil and garnish the mussels with tiny basil leaves.

Giving up fried shrimp is probably easier than giving up, say, chocolate cake, but only because so much fried shrimp is so badly prepared. Here is a terrific version, complete with tartar sauce for dipping.

We topped these rolls with a combination of plain tobiko (flying-fish roe) as well as seasoned and wasabi-flavored tobiko and golden whitefish caviar. The specialty tobiko and caviar are available from the mail-order source given below.