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¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

4 thick slices good-quality bread

Salt

1. Put the olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until it is lightly browned.

2. Add the bread slices and cook, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat so they brown nicely. Remove and sprinkle lightly with salt; serve hot or at room temperature.

BREAD PUDDING WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR, LARGELY UNATTENDED

THIS BREAD CASSEROLE is a major upgrade from stuffing. Like most puddings and custards, it should be removed from the oven when it still appears slightly underdone, because its retained heat will firm it up just fine. Use good-quality white bread—torn from a loaf, not presliced—and the pudding will be much better.

Butter or extra virgin olive oil for greasing the baking dish, plus 2 tablespoons

½ pound good-quality white bread, cut or torn into chunks no smaller than 1 inch in diameter

2 cups milk

4 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

¼ pound Emmenthal or other semisoft cheese, freshly grated

1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried

1. Butter or oil an 8-inch soufflé or baking dish and put the bread in it. Combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and cheeses and pour this mixture over the bread. Submerge the bread with a weighted plate and turn the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and thyme and stir them into the bread mixture.

2. Bake until the pudding is just set but not dry, 35 to 45 minutes. The top will be crusty and brown. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

PIZZA IS EASY, even when you make the dough yourself. And although we have practically been force-fed pizza with cooked tomato sauce, pizza is even easier when topped with raw ingredients.

What the following pizzas have in common is their uncooked toppings; once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it easy enough to improvise with both raw and cooked ingredients.

PIZZA DOUGH

MAKES 2 12- TO 13-INCH PIES, ENOUGH FOR 4 PEOPLE

TIME: 1 HOUR OR MORE

PEOPLE CAN NEVER seem to get enough pizza, and how many a pizza will serve depends on the heartiness of the toppings, the thickness of the crust, and whether you’re serving anything along with it. But I’ve found generally that this dough recipe will make two twelve- or thirteen-inch pizzas and that pizzas made with the following toppings will serve at least four people.

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup of warm water and the oil through the feed tube.

2. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. (In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.)

3. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time short if you are in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 to 8 hours.) Proceed to step 4, or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. (Defrost in a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature.)

4. When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like; roll