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We decided to serve these shooters in small glasses, so in order for the gelée to slide out easily we made sure the tomato ginger water is thickened but not set. We call for 60 glasses in this recipe, but for simplicity the clams can be served in their shells: Double the amount of gelatin, keeping all other measurements the same, and chill the mixture with cilantro and clams in well-scrubbed shells instead. Whichever presentation you choose, it’s very important to cook the ginger thoroughly and to clean the food processor because otherwise the enzymes from the raw ginger will inhibit the action of the gelatin.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 9 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Makes 60 hors d’oeuvres.

INGREDIENTS

• 4lb ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2cup finely grated peeled fresh ginger (5 oz)
• 2fresh serrano chiles, finely chopped (including seeds)
• 1tablespoon salt
• 1tablespoon sugar
• 1cup water
• 60small hard-shelled clams such as littlenecks (less than 2 inches in diameter; 7 lb), scrubbed well
• 2teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope)
• 3/4cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves special equipment:4 (20-inch) squares of cheesecloth; kitchen string; 60 (1- to 1 1/2-oz) tiny stemmed glasses or shot glasses

DIRECTIONS Make tomato ginger water:
Purée one fourth of tomatoes with ginger in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Clean processor thoroughly, then purée remaining tomatoes in batches with chiles, salt, and sugar until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cooked tomato ginger purée.

Line a large sieve with stacked cheesecloth squares and set over a deep nonreactive pot or a large clean bucket. Carefully pour purée into center of cheesecloth. Gather sides of cheesecloth up over purée to form a large sack and tie sides together securely with string as close to purée as possible but without squeezing purée. Tie sack to a wooden spoon longer than diameter of pot and remove sieve. Set spoon across top of pot, suspending sack inside pot and leaving a couple of inches underneath sack so that it will not sit in any tomato water that accumulates. (Alternatively, transfer tomato water to another container as it accumulates.) Let sack hang 4 hours at room temperature.

Prepare clams:
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot. Add clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat, until clams are opened wide, stirring and checking frequently after 6 minutes and transferring clams as opened to a bowl. (Discard any clams that have not opened after 10 minutes.) When cool enough to handle, shuck clams.

Assemble shooters:
Discard cheesecloth sack and its contents without squeezing. Pour tomato water through large sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into a bowl. Measure out 4 cups tomato water and reserve remainder for another use.

Transfer 1/2 cup tomato water to a small saucepan, then sprinkle with gelatin and let soften 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is dissolved, then stir into remaining 31/2 cups tomato water.

Arrange glasses on trays and put 1 or 2 cilantro leaves in each, then a clam, and then 1 or 2 more cilantro leaves. Add about 1 tablespoon tomato water to each glass (stir water each time so gelatin remains well distributed) and chill, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at least 3 hours. (Gelatin will be thickened but not set; it needs to slide easily out of glass.)

Cooks’ notes:
• Tomato water (without gelatin) can be made 2 days ahead. Pour through paper-towel-lined sieve, then chill, covered.
• Shooters can be chilled up to 1 day.

What to drink: Offer a Pinot Grigio with these toasts.

Makes 18.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1garlic clove
• 7tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil181/3-inch-thick diagonal slices french-bread baguette1/4cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives or otherbrine-cured black olives

DIRECTIONS Finely chop first 6 ingredients in processor. Blend in 5 tablespoons oil. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bread slices on large baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until crisp and golden, about 13 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Spread olive mixture onto toasts. Sprinkle with Kalamata olives and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 5 cups.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4cup sugar
• 3tablespoons cornstarch
• 4cups whole milk
• 2teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
• 10large egg yolks
• 1teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in 1/4 cup milk until smooth, then stir in remaining milk and zest. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking frequently.

Have ready a bowl filled with iceand cold water. Whisk together yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, then transfer custard to saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 170°F onan instant-read thermometer,3 to 4 minutes. (Do not boil.)

Immediately pour custard througha fine sieve into a metal bowl setin ice water. Stir in vanilla. Cool, stirring frequently.

Cooks’ note:

• Custard can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with wax paper and bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Makes 15 (4-inch) pancakes.

INGREDIENTS

• for orange butter
• 1/2stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1 1/2teaspoons fresh orange juice
• 1/8teaspoon saltfor pancakes
• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 3tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2large eggs
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1ripe large banana
• 1/2cup salted roasted macadamia nuts (2 1/2 oz), choppedaccompaniment:maple syrup

DIRECTIONS Make orange butter:
Stir together all orange butter ingredients in a small bowl until combined well.

Make pancakes:
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Cut banana into bits and fold into batter along with nuts. (Batter will be very thick.)

Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with some of remaining tablespoon melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 3, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake into hot skillet and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm, then make more pancakes, brushing skillet with butter for each batch. Serve with orange butter.