Fish

Here's a party main dish that is easy to prepare and makes a lovely presentation.

I am particularly fond of this stir-fry because of the hot, peppery taste and penetrating aroma that comes from using so much ginger, and I find that people who have never had it before fall in love with it for the same reason. Of course, if you like a milder flavor, feel free to use less ginger; just be careful not to make it too mild, or the dish will be bland. In Cambodia, we believe that ginger has medicinal qualities and that it heats up the head and the whole system to make you feel better. With this in mind, you might want to try Ginger Catfish the next time you have a cold.

(PESCE ALL' ACQUA PAZZA) The fanciful name of this dish derives from the "crazy" way the cooking water is transformed into a flavorful sauce.

Complete the entrée with roasted red-skinned potatoes and boiled green beans. Serve pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

The following is chef Robert Freitag's variation of a recipe by Joyce Goldstein, chef-owner of Square One, in San Francisco, until it closed in 1996. The chef likes to use king salmon when making this dish.

This dish is a characteristic Moroccan Jewish preparation. North Africans, Jews and non-Jews alike, are particularly skilled at cooking fish because the long coastline yields so much. Dried chickpeas, a staple starch in the Mediterranean, traveled with the Jews when they emigrated.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

This is fantastic with coleslaw and warm biscuits. What to drink: A not-too-oaky domestic Chardonnay or a white Burgundy, such as one from France's St.-Véran region.

Serve with: Grilled portobello mushrooms and a rice salad with sliced radishes. Dessert: Scoops of coconut, pineapple, and passion-fruit sorbets drizzled with rum.

Here's an all-new tuna-noodle casserole; just add a salad of arugula and sliced oranges. Dessert might be big spice cookies sandwiched with vanilla ice cream.

This sophisticated appetizer from Aqua in San Francisco is nice for a special occasion.

If you can't find pancetta, you can substitute regular bacon.

Chef Ludovic LeFebvre writes: "I'm looking forward to the opening of my restaurant, Ludo, this fall. It's going to be different from the elaborate French cuisine I've done in the past: People are interested in lighter and healthier foods now, and I want my cooking to reflect that. For me, that means using the best ingredients in simple ways. "Before coming to America, I apprenticed with some of France's best chefs, like Marc Meneau and Alain Passard. I was lucky to have such great teachers, but after two years of working 17-hour days, it was time for a change. Moving to Los Angeles definitely altered my work habits. My days in the kitchen are shorter, and there's more opportunity to enjoy cooking at home. " Sophisticated flavors; simple techniques. Serve with crusty bread.

Truite à la Tomate This trout recipe could be page 1 of [fishmonger Neige] Perez's Workbook for Cooking Fish 101. There are no fish bones to fillet, no tomatoes to peel, and no saucepans to clean. Cooked together in a single roasting pan, the capers, olives, onions, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, white wine, and trout fillets conspire to create a wonderful, unmistakably Mediterranean ensemble sure to entice even Marseillais who were scaling and gutting fish — or so they say — before they could walk.

Marsha also uses this versatile sauce (based on the Spanish sauce called romesco) as a pasta sauce, as a dip and on garlic toasts as an hors d'oeuvre.