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To make the blini, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and then let it proof for 10 minutes. Sift the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into a blender along with the dry ingredients. Puree on high until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender, add the melted butter and egg yolks (reserve the whites), and process again until combined. Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.

Just before you are ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites until stiff; then fold them into the batter. Place a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brush with a little melted butter. Pour 1 tablespoon at a time of batter into the pan to make pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip them over with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds. Stack the blini on a platter and wrap them in a cloth napkin to keep them warm.

Combine the ingredients for the crème fraîche.

Scrape the salt mixture off the salmon and lightly rinse the fish under cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. The cured salmon will be firm but pliable. To set up the presentation, lay the salmon on a large wooden cutting board. With a very sharp knife slice the salmon New York Deli–style: paper-thin and on a slight angle. (The whole fish looks great as a centerpiece on the table, so slice only a quarter of the salmon at a time.) Serve the salmon with the blini and condiments on the side. This is an interactive hors d’oeuvre: Let your friends attack it and then slice more as needed. Always a huge hit.

Scrub the oysters under cold water to remove the dirt, especially from the hinge area, where mud has a tendency to get trapped. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square. This will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also will protect your hand.

Using the towel as a mitt, place the oyster, cup side down, in the palm of your hand with the hinge facing you. Insert the tip of an oyster knife or dull butter knife as far into the hinge as it will go; don’t jab it in there or you could break the shell. With gentle force, twist the knife back and forth to pry the shell open. Using the knife, cut the muscle away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in the shell. Be careful not to spill its juice.

Oysters Rockefeller

1 hour

Classic, old-school New Orleans flavor, slightly updated. Because of the expense of the oysters, these are better for smaller crowds, 10 to 12 people max.

Makes 24 pieces

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

2 shallots, chopped

2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Pernod

Tabasco sauce

Extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

24 oysters

3 pounds coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté the garlic for 2 minutes to infuse the butter. Place the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and pour in half of the garlic butter to moisten them; set aside. Add the shallots to the garlic butter remaining in the skil- let and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted and the water in the spinach has evaporated; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the Pernod and cook down for a few minutes until the mixture is dry and then add a couple of dashes of Tabasco to give the spinach a little kick. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Finish off the bread crumbs by mixing in a 2-count of olive oil, the Parmigiano, and the parsley; season with salt and pepper. Set the bread crumb mixture aside.

Shuck the oysters (see Note). Spread a thick,