Gourmet

No African-American summer picnic, North or South, would be complete without deviled eggs wrapped in wax paper. I remember that, as a child, part of the fun was unwrapping the eggs and seeing if some of the savory yellow insides had managed to squeeze out onto the paper, in which case I was allowed to lick it off. Years later, I was very surprised to learn that deviled eggs are also a part of the general culinary history of the South. There are even plates especially designed for serving this delicacy. To me they'll always be part of summer fun-hard-cooked eggs taken to the nth power.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Although several varieties of basil are used in Southeast Asia, the most common-called rau que in Vietnam and bai gaprow in Thailand-is generally referred to as Thai basil in Asian markets on this side of the Pacific. The leaves are slightly darker and narrower than the more familiar Italian basil and have purple stems and flowers. Rau que has a distinctively pungent anise flavor, but Italian basil is a perfectly acceptable substitute.

Common brown lentils may be substituted for the lentils of Le Puy but they cook much more quickly- in about twelve minutes initially. In this recipe the carrots may be cooked separately in boiling salted water until tender for a brighter color. Lentilles du Puy (French green lentils) are available at specialty foods shops and some natural foods stores.

These muffins are at once light and chewy.

In this recipe we call for a 10 1/2- by 7- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim; you could instead use a 10- by 1-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. The cornmeal makes a tender, delicate crust.

The Indian staple cornmeal became a mainstay of Colonial cooking; European arrivals used it to stretch their scarce wheat flour. We have adopted the same tactic with our modern edition of the venerable breakfast dish, pancakes. They are, of course, also a good excuse to bring out the maple syrup, another gift from the Indians. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sunset salad originated at the '21' Club early in the restaurant's history. The name comes from the colors of its ingredients. The salad is most often served with Lorenzo dressing, which was invented by one of the waiters, whose first name, not surprisingly, was Lorenzo.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.