Deep-fry

Margaret DeMatteo of Stirling, New Jersey, writes: "My husband recently took me to the nearby Perryville Inn to celebrate my birthday. We had a fabulous 'BLT' appetizer made with layers of fried green tomatoes, pancetta, and basil mayonnaise. I would greatly appreciate it if you could get the recipe."

When we were children, we adored zeen doy(sesame balls). The dough is fried until golden brown so it is both crisp and chewy from the glutinous rice flour. It is eaten year-round, but especially for New Year's and for birthday celebrations. As the dough fries, it expands, so the Chinese believe if you eat Sesame Balls your fortunes will expand similarly. The Sweetened Red Bean Paste for the filling can be purchased in a can or homemade. Sesame Balls must be eaten the day they are made. The following day, they can be heated in a 300-degree oven but, like so many foods, they are not nearly as good as when they are fresh. Remember to use glutinous rice flour and not rice flour! My Auntie Lil, who taught me this recipe, says the secret is to never knead the dough and to use cold sugar water.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sopaipillas are crisp fried breads traditionally topped with honey; cinnamon and sugar are sometimes added to make a great dessert. In this recipe, fried tortillas approximate the texture of true sopaipillas.

To go with the crispy oysters, place sliced beets on a bed of frisée and top with balsamic dressing, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Finish with wedges of angel food cake and caramel sauce.

In this clever dish from chef Michel Richard at Citronelle in Washington, D.C., fried sea scallops coated with fine strands of phyllo pastry resemble porcupines.

This recipe makes very dark, mahogany-colored drumsticks. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

This version of a popular Provençal treat has a tender texture. The fried cookies are perfect with a glass of milk (kid style) or with an after-dinner drink (for grown-ups).

Wemonrat Pok, an immigrant from Thailand, opened Siam House 11 years ago near the campus of Indiana University in the lively college town of Bloomington. It's a family business — Wemonrat is the chef, and her aunt and cousin help out with the cooking. The elegant restaurant with several small dining rooms occupies a lovely old home. Thai sculptures and creaky hardwood floors add to the charm; great food and an accommodating staff keep locals coming back. The batter and bananas can be prepared ahead of time, leaving only the frying to do at the last minute.

This crispy chicken is accented with ginger and sesame oil, and served with a simple dipping sauce of soy, cilantro, green onions and ginger. Wrap the chicken in foil, and store the sauce and slaw in plastic containers; be sure to add a cold pack or two to the picnic basket. Fill a thermos with limeade, or bring along a cooler of your favorite beers.

Thai spicing brings new flavor to an avocado classic. Add more color by serving this in a large leaf of red cabbage.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min It seems like people have been making fun of the railroad for as long as we can remember, but no one jokes about the French toast that used to be served on the Santa Fe line. The train might have run late, but when indulging in a breakfast like this, who cared?

At restaurants, onions can be sliced into very thin rings on a meat slicer. By cutting the onions in half first, home cooks can get close to the same thinness with a knife, even though it means sacrificing the ring shape.

It's customary to serve jelly doughnuts at Hanukkah, since they are are fried in oil to symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days instead of one.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Red-Cooked Pork with Frizzled Ginger. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

This is an updated version of the chremslach passed down in my own family. I have never had a seder without it. A heavier version stuffed with cranberries appeared in many early American Jewish cookbooks as Kentucky grimslech.

Food editor Melissa Roberts-Matar figured out what makes The Harrison's clams so special: the lightness of the coating. That's achieved by draining the buttermilk-soaked clams well and shaking off the excess coating after you dredge the clams. One restaurant touch that we loved was the delicious addition of fried thin lemon rounds and parsley sprigs; another was Joey Campanaro's accompanying Lemon Coriander Aïoli .