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For best results, use a grill basket. It should be big enough for the fish but snug enough to keep the fish and lemon slices from moving around. The one we used in the Bon Appétit test kitchen was 17 by 6 inches.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4cup olive oil
• 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2garlic cloves, crushed21 1/2-pound whole striped bass, cleaned
• coarse salt
• 1/2cup (packed) coarsely chopped fresh fennel fronds
• 51/8-inch-thick lemon slices

DIRECTIONS Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make three 1/2-inch-deep diagonal slits in skin on each side of fish. Brush fish generously inside and out with garlic oil. Sprinkle fish inside and out with coarse salt. Stuff slits with half of fennel fronds. Place remaining fennel fronds inside fish. Place fish in grilling basket. Top fish with lemon slices, overlapping slightly. Close grilling basket (fish and lemon slices should be secured by basket). Grill fish until cooked through, about 10 minutes per side. Remove fish with lemon slices from basket and carefully transfer to platter. Serve.

Anthony Bourdain

I will always associate the smell of this dish with my first imaginings of France — and with the imminent arrival of guests. When I smelled this dish cooking downstairs, I knew company was coming. My mother made it for special occasions only. I remember being terrifically impressed that she served it in scallop shells. I yearned for this dish — knowing it only by smells — and was delighted when I finally turned old enough to sit down to eat with the adults. This was the reward.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 small onion, chopped
• bouquet garni (see mom’s tip)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pound very fresh scallops
• 8 ounces mushrooms, washed and chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• bread crumbs
• grated swiss or gruyère cheese

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat the water, wine, onion, bouquet garni, and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the scallops, cover, and simmer on very low heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the mushrooms to the scallop poaching liquid and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the bouquet garni and reserving the liquid and mushrooms separately.

3. Cut the scallops into 1/2-inch-thick slices. If too long, cut in half horizontally.

4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in the flour. Do not let it get dark. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the scallop liquid and mix until blended. Over very low heat, blend the flour mixture into the scallop liquid. Add the cream and simmer and stir until blended and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the scallops and mushrooms, and stir.

5. Fill 6 scallop shells or shallow 6-inch ramekins almost to the top with the scallop mixture. Dust the top lightly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with the grated cheese. (If you’re not ready to serve the scallops, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

6. Preheat the broiler. Broil the scallops until the mixture bubbles and the cheese melts and turns golden brown.

Mom’s Tip
To make a bouquet garni, wrap a sprig or two of parsley, two bay leaves, and a sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves) in some cheesecloth. Tie into a neat bundle with thread or clean string.

This comforting side dish is a love letter to the sweet tooth in all of us: Unpeeled sweet potatoes and bananas are roasted together, then peeled, pureed, and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel.

Makes 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 10medium-size tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 6 pounds), scrubbed
• 4bananas, unpeeled
• 1cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1/3cup honey1 1/2cups pecan pieces
• 3/4cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2cup all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Place on rimmed baking sheet or in roasting pan and bake until almost soft, about 40 minutes. Add bananas to roasting pan alongside sweet potatoes and bake until banana skins brown, about 10 minutes. Let sweet potatoes and bananas stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes (maintain oven temperature). Cut sweet potatoes in half. Scoop flesh from sweet potatoes into large bowl. Peel bananas; add to bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter and honey; beat with wooden spoon until blended and fluffy. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to 8- to 10-cup ovenproof baking dish.

Mix nuts, sugar, and flour in bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter; mix with fingertips until coarse crumbs form. (Potatoes and streusel can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Before continuing, preheat oven to 400°F.) Sprinkle streusel over potatoes. Bake until top is golden brown and potatoes are hot, about 25 minutes.

“On my last birthday, I enjoyed a special dinner at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta,” says Diane Sullivan of Alpharetta, Georgia. “The entire meal was fabulous, but the white bean soup with truffle oil was absolutely divine.”

White truffle oil, should you happen to have a bottle of it, is a delicious “garnish” for this rich and hearty soup.

Makes 8 First-Course servings.

INGREDIENTS

Margaritas, crisp Mexican beer or sangria would be perfect with this dinner.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS