Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, this frittata is made from start to finish in a cast-iron pan.

Serves 2
 
    • scant 1⁄3 cup olive oil (fruity Spanish olive oil is best here, but not necessary)
    • about 1 ½ pounds potatoes (any type), or as many as you have on hand that will fit into your pan, peeled and very thinly sliced
    • 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
    • 5 eggs, beaten
    • salt and pepper
    • about 2 teaspoons rosemary, minced

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INGREDIENTS
4 salmon fillets (skin on)

For the lemon and herb butter:
150g (5½oz) butter, softened
Finely grated juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
6tbsp finely chopped dill

For the salad:
400g (14oz) small vine tomatoes

300g (10½oz) green beans, trimmed
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp runny honey

METHOD First, make the lemon herb butter by combining the butter, lemon zest and juice, and dill in a bowl and mix well. Pat the mixture into a sausage shape about 12cm (4½in) long and place on a large square of foil. Roll the butter mixture into a tight cylinder, then twist the ends of the foil to make a tight, secure package. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up, then preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

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Makes 4 to 6 servings12 ounces small-elbow macaroni or small shells (about 3 cups)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

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There is a wonderful orange muffin recipe that is highly guarded at the Morrison Lodge in Oregon on the Rogue River. It would be a huge coup to get that orange muffin recipe.Dear Jane: These dinner rolls are gently flavored with orange zest and lightly sweetened with sugar. They're shaped like cinnamon rolls and baked in muffin tins, puffed to a rich golden-brown. Morrison's Lodge shared this recipe, which originated with Elaine Hanton who, with her husband B.A., purchased the lodge in 1964.

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The traditional baked rice pudding is simply short grain rice, milk and sugar baked in a low oven until thick and creamy. Those who find solace in its nannying quality will no doubt have an opinion on its every detail.

Some like their pudding to have a soupy consistency, with more milk than rice; others a pudding so thick you can stand a spoon up in it.Nothing polarises takers quite like the skin.

While some insist it is the best bit, many regard it as the devil himself. Even its darkness gets obsessed over. My father insisted it be blackened all over and puffed up like a beret.

THE RECIPE We probably took rice pudding from the Arab world, despite the fact that it originated in Asia, where it was initially used medicinally.

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Rain showers and blooming flowers aren't the only things that will be kind to your sense of smell this spring. It's also the time of year when you start to bake up homemade breads, cookies, and moist crumbly muffins.

This year, mix in some new recipes with some longtime family favorites. Here are some tips for making yummy treats that will have the entire neighborhood gathering outside your kitchen this spring:

* Bake quick breads in the center of the oven rack for best heat circulation. * Use a spring-handled ice cream scoop (No. 20 or No. 24) to fill muffin cups or a melon-ball sized scoop for mini muffins. * To tell if yeast bread is done baking in the oven, tap the crust. If the bread sounds hollow, it's finished.

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Is it blasphemy to give hallowed gumbo an Italian makeover? This idea was inspired by a half-full jar of giardiniera in the fridge, and the desire to use this popular Italian staple in something other than a sandwich.

For the unacquainted, giardiniera is a spicy Italian relish made of pickled vegetables (onions, celery and carrots are common ingredients). It's typically offered in mild or hot versions at Italian markets, most supermarkets and sometimes at the deli counter.

Gumbo starts with a roux, made by blending flour and oil. We thought using the oil and vegetables from a jar of giardiniera — not to mention the seasonings already in the relish — would add an interesting approach to this one-pot dish. Be sure to buy an oil-based giardiniera (most are). Frozen chopped vegetables add speedy support.

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Sydney restaurant Tetsuya's has been ranked the fifth best in the world, but Spanish eateries took top billing in a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world published on Monday, with three in the top 10. Restaurant magazine's list included a dozen in France, followed by eight from the United States, seven from Britain and six from Spain and Italy each, selected by 651 voting panel members reviewing restaurants in 70 different countries.

Topping the list was El Bulli in Barcelona, headed by Ferran Adria, named the best chef in the world by the New York Times, followed by The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, to the west of London. Third was Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, followed by French Laundry in Yountville, California, and then Tetsuya.

Just one Asian restaurant made the top 50 - Indian eatery Bukhara in Delhi was named the world's best Asian restaurant - despite the fact that Asia had twice as many eligible voters as last year. Noma, in Copenhagen, climbed the most spots from last year's list, coming in at 15th in 2007, up 18 spots compared to 2006.

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Makes 250g

1. Gently melt 120g milk chocolate squares with 80ml groundnut oil in a bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water.
   2. At the same time, place 30g caster sugar with 1 tsp cocoa and 5 tbsp milk in a small pan and gently bring to the boil, whisking together until smooth.
   3. Transfer both mixtures to a liquidiser and whiz together to a rich dark sauce.

  4. Grind 80g chopped roasted hazelnuts in a coffee grinder (to the texture you like for a smooth or chunky spread), then stir these through the chocolate mixture. Spoon into a jar or small container, cover and leave to cool.

Soups, also known as potages, come in different colors, flavors and textures. They range from hot to cold, mostly broth to hearty, sweet to savory and vegetarian to meaty. For each palate there is a soup to match, and every nation has one or more signature soups to boast about.

Spain’s ultimate summer starter is a chilled gazpacho. The star of France’s cold soup is the vichyssoise.

In Japan, the miso ranks pretty high up as a delightful year-round first course. Kale soup is no doubt the pride of any Portuguese dinner table, whereas the New England clam chowder has become as universally recognized as its rival, the French bouillabaisse.

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