For the pizzette:
Coarse cornmeal
2 cups toy box or cherry tomatoes, halved
18 oz. Casciotta d'Urbino or fresh pecorino cheese, sliced 1/16-inch thick
Crushed red chilies

To prepare the dough: Place the water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water, along with the salt and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve and then add half the flour. Stir to form a very wet and sticky starter dough. Place a kitchen towel over the bowl and let dough stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

When the dough has rested and risen about by about a third, add the remaining flour along with 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Stir to combine and then turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is sticky but has a spring to the touch. Divide the dough into twelve balls and place them next to each other on a baking sheet/tray greased with 1 tbsp of the oil. Rub the dough balls with the remaining olive oil. Cover and let rest for another hour.

To prepare the pesto: Place arugula/rocket and the Pecorino Romano cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Puree, adding the olive oil in a steady stream until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble the pizzette: Preheat the oven to 500ºF. Remove all racks and place a pizza stone or inverted 16-by-12-inch baking sheet/tray on the oven floor.

Working with one ball at a time, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and, using your fingertips and palms of your hands, gently stretch each ball out into a circle 6" in diameter.

Scatter a small amount of coarse cornmeal onto a pizza peel or baking sheet/tray with no sides before placing a dough round on it. Spread 1 tbsp of the pesto on the dough and top with 2 oz. of the tomatoes and 1-1/2 oz. of the Casciotta d'Urbino cheese. Add a pinch of red chilies. Open the oven door and shake the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet/tray.

Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and golden. Remove with a pizza peel or inverted spatula, taking care not to get burned. Proceed with the remaining dough and ingredients. Serve immediately.

White wine pairing: Orvieto

The Cheesemonger's Kitchen by Chester Hastings. Photography by Joseph De Leo. Chronicle, $35.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare shiitake mushrooms by removing and discarding stems and slicing caps thinly. Set aside.

Heat large skillet to medium and sauté leek in olive oil until soft (about 3 minutes). Add shiitakes and continue sautéing. Add water or liquid aminos 1 tablespoon at a time to deglaze pan. Continue sautéing until mushrooms caramelize (8-10 minutes total). Add carrots, daikon and mirin and sauté until carrots are soft (4-5 minutes). Fold in kale and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, toss with sesame seeds and set aside.

Place mochi squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until they puff (follow directions on package). Remove from oven, slice open each puff, stuff with sautéed greens and serve.

Clean Start by Terry Walters. Photography by Gentl & Hyers. Sterling, $25.

1 cauliflower, divided into florets
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Cook the cauliflower in a large pan of salted, boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a shallow dish. Spread out the bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet. Dip the cauliflower florets first in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs. Add them to the skillet, in batches if necessary, and cook for a few minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Vegetables from an Italian Garden. Photography by Steven Joyce. Phaidon, $39.95.

Cream the butter with the sugar and grated lemon peel. Beat in 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and the cream cheese. Sift in the flour, mixed spice, and salt and mix. When thoroughly combined, remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a ball, and wrap in a plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. The dough can be kept in the fridge, for up to 1 week.

When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until ¼ inch thick. Dip the cookie cutter in four and cut out shapes. Gather up the trimmings and re-roll, then cut out more shapes. Arrange slightly apart on the baking sheets. If using as decorations, use a toothpick to make a small hole at the top of each shape large enough to thread a ribbon through. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes until just turning golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven, let cool for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cold. Decorate with glacé icing* or use a writing icing pen. When firm thread the ribbons. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

*Glacé icing - Made with confectioners' sugar and water, plus a little coloring if you like, this icing will dry firm but not as hard as royal icing. Sift 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Stir in water or lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time, to make a thick icing that can be piped.

Long Nights and Log Fires. Photography by Ryland Peters & Small. Ryland Peters and Small, $27.95

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then the carrots. Blanche for one minute and remove to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cool, remove and set aside.

Place the beets in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and simmer until the beets are tender. Strain the beets and peel them using paper towels to rub off the skin. This is easier when they are still warm.

Crumble the feta and set aside.

Toss the carrots with a 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and place them on half a baking sheet pan. Toss the beets with the remaining olive oil and place on the other half of the sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes.

Remove the beets and carrots from the oven and place in separate bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and 1/2 cup of the parsley to the beets and toss. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette, the remaining parsley, and the feta to the carrots and toss. Divide the carrots evenly among 6 plates. Then divide the beets evenly among the plates and gently mix with the carrots. Drizzle with a touch more of the vinaigrette.

Cumin Vinaigrette
makes 3/4 cup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted in a dry pan and then pulverized
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the Dijon mustard in a bowl and whisk in the olive oil, then the lemon juice and the sherry vinegar. Add the cumin and the mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

A New Turn in the South, by Hugh Acheson. Photography by Rinne Allen. Clarkson Potter, $35.00

Baked Note: The original Joe Frogger uses vegetable shortening exclusively. I adapted the recipe to include some butter, but it would be a mistake to take out the shortening entirely. An all-butter cookie, while tasty, will spread more and won't retain the same bite over time. In other words, an all-butter cookie would not be a Joe Frogger, and that would be a shame. If you prefer a chewy cookie, bake for 8 minutes; if you like a crispier cookie, err on the 12-minute side.

Whisk the flour, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until there are no visible lumps. Add both sugars and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the molasses, and beat until the mixture is uniform in color.

Prepare 1/3 cup very hot water. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the hot water, in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, add the rum, and mix for 15 seconds. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thick round. Cut out the cookies with a 2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sanding sugar onto each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, until they are set. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Baked Explorations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Photography by Tina Rupp. Stewart Tabori & Chang, $29.95

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease and line a 26 cm (10-inch) springform cake tin. Melt the chocolate with the instant coffee granules and brandy in a heavy-based enameled or stainless steel saucepan over low heat until smooth, then remove from the heat. Mix one egg yolk at a time into the chocolate mixture. Return the pan to the heat just to warm the yolks and thicken the mixture. Remove from the heat again and add the butter, a knob at a time, stirring until it is all incorporated. Sift the flour and stir it into the chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks, then add the castor sugar and beat until stiff. Fold the warm chocolate mixture carefully into the egg whites and turn the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes and remove from the oven (it is important not to overcook the cake). It will puff like a soufflé in the centre and must be left to cool in the tin for 45 minutes before it is turned out onto a wire rack. The cake will shrink and crack as it cools.

Cut a 12 cm-wide circle in the middle of the cooled cake and scrape out the cake with a dessertspoon, leaving a 2.5 cm border and the base intact. The cake you extract will be so moist and rich you could roll it into balls like truffles - instead, mix it with the figs and pile it back into the hollowed-out cake.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate with the cream and instant coffee granules in a heavy-based enameled or stainless steel saucepan over low heat until smooth and shiny. Cool the ganache, then cover the cake generously with it. Put the cake in a cool place until required - don't refrigerate it or the ganache will lose its sheen.

Maggie's Harvest, by Maggie Beer. Photography by Mark Chew. Penguin Global, $125 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or lightly grease the muffin pan.

For the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, rubbing the butter in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Gently squeeze bits of the mixture together to form larger pieces of streusel. Set aside.

For the muffins, stir the melted butter and pumpkin together in a medium bowl, then stir in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together, then stir in the sugars. Stir the pumpkin mixture in to the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups and top with the streusel mixture.

Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes to allow the streusel to set, then remove from the pan.

*To make these from fresh pumpkin, buy several small sugar or pie pumpkins - before Halloween - at the market, then roast, puree, and freeze enough to use in dishes both savory and sweet.

Heartland: The Cookbook, by Judith Fertig. Photography by Ben Pieper. Andrews McMeel, $35.

Set up a Japanese mandoline or other vegetable slicer to make very thin slices. Cut off the end of the potato(es) on a slight diagonal, which will give you a better angle for slicing the potato, and cut a few slices on the mandoline. The slices should be as thin as possible but not so thin that the edges becom uneven; adjust the blade as necessary, and continue slicing the potatoes.

Pour 3 inches of oil into a Dutch oven or deep pot and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F for fingerlings, 325°F for sweet potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels.

Add about one-quarter of the potatoes to the hot oil and cook, turning once with a wire skimmer, until golden brown, about 2 1/2 minutes. Turning the potatoes helps prevent air pockets from developing in the chips, which would keep the centers from crisping. Transfer to the paper towels to drain and immediately season with salt.

Ad Hoc At Home, by Thomas Keller. Photography by Deborah Jones. Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc., $50.00

In a large bowl, stir together 3-1/2 cups of the flour, and the brown sugar, yeast, salt, and cayenne. Add 1 cup water, the pumpkin, and cheese, and mix until well combined. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it forms a smooth ball. (Add up to 1/4 cup more flour if needed.) Sprinkle a large bowl with flour and add the ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day take the dough out of the refrigerator, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and flatten the dough to a rough rectangle with your hands. Use the butter to coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Roll the dough up into a cylindrical shape and place seam-side down in the loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until almost doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, when the dough has risen for 35 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slash the loaf down the center with a sharp knife. Brush the loaf with the egg-water wash. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Turn the bread out of the pan and onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipes and images reprinted with permission from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook © 2011 by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by © Paulette Tavormina

For the béchamel sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a tart pan with butter. Make the béchamel sauce (see below). Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the pumpkin and 2/3 cup of water and cook, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the pumpkin turns to a soft puree. Stir in the béchamel sauce, parmesan, egg yolks, and pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, then increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely before turning out. This flan is excellent served with spinach in butter.

*To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes, until the mixture turns nut brown. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring continuousl. Cook, stirring continuously, until thickened and smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Vegetables From an Italian Garden. Photography by Steven Joyce. Phaidon, $39.95.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. 

Using a double boiler, cook the rice in the milk. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, then covered for another 25 minutes, until rice is cooked thoroughly. If rice is still a little too firm, let sit on burner for another 10 minutes with heat turned.

While the rice is cooking, make your egg mixture by combining the egg yolks, vanilla and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.

When the rice is done and cooled [until room temperature] add the egg yolk mixture, dry ingredient mixture, 3 tablespoons butter and the heavy cream, mixing between each addition.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Add the raisins, if using. Set the entire pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour. If you use raisins, halfway through the baking you have to stir the bottom by sliding a knife along the sides (this is so the raisins will not gather at the bottom) without disturbing the custard. It will have solidified and a slight caramel colored crust will have formed on top. Cool and refrigerate until serving.

For more information on this Saturday's Brown Betty Pop-Up Shop event and to RSVP, please click here.

Photo courtesy of Courtney Apple.