Fry

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

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min Chuck blade steaks are a wonderful cut — luxurious flavor at a bargain price. They may appear under different names — flatiron or book steaks, for instance — in your butcher case, but they're easy to spot: Neat ovals that are slightly larger than your palm and bisected by a slender white ribbon — of gristle.

Amyrose Gill of Berkeley, California, writes: "My husband and I learned about La Note when we first moved to Berkeley to attend graduate school. Everyone raved about their Sunday brunch, and for weeks we tried to go, but there was always a line out the door. We finally braved the long wait, and it was well worth it. Gingerbread pancakes —redolent with spice, beautifully textured, and absolutely delicious —were the reward. We'd love to get the recipe and serve them at our own Sunday brunches. " In addition to their spiced flavor, these pancakes have a distinctive cakelike texture.

With bacon and lots of fresh herbs, this salad has a delicious balance of flavors. A warm baguette and a good Cabernet round out the menu.

Pick up some crunchy coleslaw and corn bread to go with the fish. Bourbon-spiked sweetened peaches with vanilla ice cream are a nice dessert.

Sharon Hooykaas of Los Alamitos, California, writes: "During a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, my husband and I went to Edward's at Kanaloa for dinner, where I enjoyed the best fish I've ever tasted: snapper served on angel hair pasta with creamy citrus sauce."

Steamed spinach and parsleyed baby red potatoes round out this seasonal plate. Chocolate cream pie is always in season.

Traditional fish cakes are made with salt cod and potatoes. To create a lighter, more delicate cake, we used fresh cod and left out the potatoes. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

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.

Mung bean sprouts, commonly known simply as bean sprouts, are available in the produce section of most supermarkets.

Tom and Pam Kreider of Nashport, Ohio, write: "Our trip to the island of Mykonos inspired the creation of this recipe for fillet of sole. May these flavors transport you to the sunny isles of the Aegean." Don't be tempted to use fresh bread crumbs for this recipe — it won't be as good.

I first tasted scallion cakes at Henry Chung's Hunan Restaurant on Kearny Street in San Francisco. I think I was about eleven years old as I sat on a stool at the counter and watched these curious rounds of dough being fried until golden brown and fragrant with scallion flavor. As I devoured the delicious, crisp cakes, Mama looked on, pleased that I loved them, for she had grown up eating them as a favorite street snack in China. This was the first Hunan restaurant I'd ever eaten in and, until then, our diet had been strictly Cantonese food. Be careful when frying these cakes, as the oil will splatter, especially when you press a cake in its center. Any uncooked dough can be placed in a plastic container, refrigerated, and cooked the following day. If you do make them ahead, redust the dough lightly with flour to absorb any moisture from refrigeration, and allow the dough to sit at room temperature briefly so that it is not ice-cold when fried.

Try these flavorful meatballs on their own, in a tomato sauce or in a submarine sandwich.

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

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.