Crab

In the early days of California cooking, savory puddings were often served, a reflection of the fact that eggs and dairy have historically been mainstays of the state's agriculture. That was a legacy from the mission padres who, in addition to growing field crops such as corn and beans, usually kept cows and chickens to help feed their communities. In Northern California, Dungeness crab season begins around the first of November. The crab lends rich taste and nice texture to the first-course pudding.

This is made with homemade pasta at the inn. Our easy alternative uses cooked lasagne noodles cut into squares. From the Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland. Watch how to make your own pasta for ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.

This recipe comes from my brother, Chris, a high-school athletic coach. If you think stuffed mushrooms sound too foofy for Super Bowl Sunday, I refer you to "Little" Brother. He tells me they are winners every time. There's plenty of room for play in the recipe. The only firm rule: Use more crab than cream cheese.

An elegant soup that can be prepared a day ahead. Begin the occasion by passing smoked chicken canapés. To make them, spread mayonnaise over crustless sandwich bread, and top with thinly sliced smoked chicken. Cut the open-face sandwiches into triangles, and garnish each of them with a few onion sprouts.

Artichokes, an Old World food, came to America with Italian immigrants and found a happy home in the near-Mediterranean climate of California. As "ethnic" fare, artichokes took their time catching on outside the Golden State. They finally did in the thirties and became something of a fad. Artichokes were not limited to the vegetable course, either. Sometimes the center "choke" was scooped out and the hollow filled with a stuffing for a fashionable light lunch entrée.

To make the nori rolls in this recipe we used a bamboo sushi mat*, available at the sources noted below. Alternatively, a 9-inch square of heavy-duty foil can be used.

At least two San Francisco establishments — Solari's restaurant and the St. Francis Hotel — have laid claim to this classic. Both places reportedly started serving crab Louis around 1915.

These crab cakes are flavored with the "holy trinity" of Cajun cooking: onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Serve them with a helping of coleslaw or a green salad.

This light, spicy soup is delicious hot or chilled. The sautéed aromatics turn the broth a rich red-orange, more reminiscent of tomato than watermelon. See if your guests can guess the main ingredient. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr (3 hr if serving chilled)

The following recipe calls for filé powder, a spice made from the dried, ground leaves of the sassafras tree. Although often added as a thickener to gumbos while they cook, filé powder can also serve purely as a seasoning. As in this recipe, it is then sprinkled over the gumbo at the penultimate moment.

"Last summer I attended an event at the Three Clock Inn in South Londonderry, Vermont. The chef prepared a lovely luncheon, and it included delicious crab cakes," Bill Brett of Bondville, Vermont. "When I went home, I came up with my own version." The crab cakes are loaded with fresh crabmeat and are accented by a tangy sauce.

Pack the precooked crab or shrimp and the tangy sauce separately for this starter.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Serve steamed rice, and drizzle oriental sesame oil and rice vinegar over blanched snow peas. Mango sorbet topped with sliced tropical fruits is the perfect finale.

The salty anchovies complement the briny sweetness of the crabmeat. Buttermilk lightens the dressing and makes this version of the classic Caesar especially delicious.

Crab and mushrooms have always made good dining companions, but never more so than in this velvety soup. Serve it as the first course at a dinner party or as the centerpiece of a soup supper, with corn bread on the side.