JAZZ UP HOLIDAY FARE.

If you're looking for ideas to jazz up festive holiday dinners, here's a sampling of recipes from some of the latest cookbooks. Mix and match them to suit your menus.

BABA GHANNUJ (EGGPLANT AND TAHINI PUREE)

As popular as baba ghannuj is in this country, a wonderful example of culinary borrowing, it still seems no one knows how to make it properly. The key in making baba ghannuj is the right proportion of tahini to lemon juice and of the tahini-lemon juice mix to eggplant; you don't want to overpower the eggplant, as sometimes happens.

EGGPLANT:

4 medium-size eggplants (about 4 pounds)

9 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

GARNISH:

Extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Imported black olives

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

For Eggplant, puncture eggplant all over with a fork.

Preheated a gas grill on high 20 minutes or prepare a hot charcoal fire.

Grill eggplant whole until skins are black and blistered, about 40 minutes or preheat oven to 425 degrees F and roast 35 to 40 minutes. (Some Arab cooks blister eggplants over an open burner flame, but I have always found that way messy.)

Carefully remove skins and spoon out soft pulp just as soon as you can handle eggplant. Puree pulp in a food processor, then squeeze or drain out some of bitter liquid from eggplant by letting it sit in a strainer over a bowl or sink for an hour.

In a small bowl, slowly mix lemon juice and tahini together. Pound garlic and salt together in a mortar until it is paste, then stir into tahini mixture. Stir this into eggplant puree. Taste and add water to thin; never thin with more lemon juice.

Pour mixture into a serving platter. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, parsley, some black olives and pomegranate seeds. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From ``A Mediterranean Feast'' by Clifford A. Wright, William Morrow.

PEA SALAD

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dairy sour cream

1/4 cup minced (really minced) onion

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar

Salt

4 cups fresh baby peas, OR 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen baby peas, thawed but uncooked

6 ounces medium to sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into tiny cubes

4 to 5 crisp-cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and salt to taste.

Stir together peas, cheese and bacon in a large bowl. Spoon on mayonnaise mixture and toss lightly just until combined. Add more sugar or salt, if desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.

From ``American Home Cooking'' by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Broadway Books.

GRILLED TENDERLOIN WITH CHANTERELLES, GARLIC AND PARSLEY

Cooking and serving a whole beef fillet or tenderloin, is impressive and relatively easy, and the meat is equally good hot or cold. Much of your success depends on obtaining a well-aged piece of meat. Tenderloin is aptly named, for it is absolutely the tenderest cut. Seasoning aggressively is the key. Grilling will add a wonderful smoky dimension, especially if fruit wood is used. We serve grilled tenderloin all year with, depending on the season, roasted shallots, sliced summer tomatoes, grilled porcini, ratatouille or other garnishes.

1 whole beef tenderloin, about 7 pounds

Salt and pepper 

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 whole head garlic, peeled

2 pounds chanterelle mushrooms

1 small bunch parsley, stemmed

1 small lemon

Trim most of fat from beef. Leave ``silver skin'' connective tissue intact, but trim away most of ``chain,'' the fatty strip attached to one side of fillet. Using butcher's twine, tie beef into a compact, secure roast, doubling over meat at thin end of fillet. A good butcher can do this for you.

Six hours ahead, or night before, season fillet generously with salt and coarsely ground pepper. Rub meat with a few tablespoons olive oil, thinly slice 6 to 8 peeled cloves of garlic and rub garlic slices all over tenderloin. Wrap and refrigerate; remove 2 hours before cooking.

Prepare a hardwood or charcoal fire. Let coals burn down and be ready to cook when fire is medium hot. Cook beef slowly, turning frequently, about 45 minutes, until nicely roasted and juices begin to rise.

Keep a spray bottle of water handy and douse flames as they flare up or meat will acquire a disagreeable burnt flavor. Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Remove roast from grill when thermometer registers 118 degrees F.

Cover tenderloin loosely, keep warm and let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Roast will continue to cook while standing and will be a perfect medium-rare when sliced.

Meanwhile, pick over chanterelles and trim away discolored ends and soft spots. Rinse briefly in a bowl of warm water and blot dry. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute 2 to 3 minutes, letting them color a bit. Turn off heat.

Cut tenderloin into 1/2-inch slices, arrange on a warm platter and spoon some of juices over meat. Finely chop 3 or 4 garlic cloves. Coarsely chop parsley. Reheat mushrooms over a medium flame. Toss in garlic and parsley when mushrooms begin to sizzle. Cook a minute or so, without letting garlic color. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, scatter mushroom mixture over beef and serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

VARIATION: To roast tenderloin in a conventional oven, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Make sure meat is at room temperature before cooking. Remove garlic slices and tuck a few rosemary and thyme branches under butcher's twine. Heat a large heavy saute pan or cast-iron skillet until quite hot and brown meat on all sides. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in oven 25 to 30 minutes. Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer and remove roast when it reaches 118 degrees F. Place meat on a warmed platter, cover loosely and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving garnished with mushrooms, garlic and parsley as in above recipe. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From ``Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook'' by Alice Waters and the cooks of Chez Panisse, HarperCollins, publishers.

GREEN TAGLIARINI

WITH FOUR CHEESES

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/4 pound fontina cheese, cubed

1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, cubed

1/4 pound Bel Paese cheese, cubed

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 pound green tagliarini

Salt to taste

Melt butter in a deep saucepan and add pepper. Add fontina, Gorgonzola and Bel Paese cheeses. Stir until cheeses melt. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cream.

Drop tagliarini into salted boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain tagliarini and toss in cheese mixture. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From ``The Best of Craig Claiborne,'' by Craig Claiborne with Pierre Franey, edited by Joan Whitman, Times Books.

CARAMELS

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup butter

1 (16-ounce) package (2 1/4 cups) packed brown sugar

2 cups half-and-half OR light cream

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Line an 8x8x2- or 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil. If desired, sprinkle walnuts onto bottom of pan. Set pan aside.

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, half-and-half and corn syrup; mix well. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 248 degrees F, firm-ball stage, 45 to 60 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Stir in vanilla.

Quickly pour mixture into prepared pan. When caramel mixture is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Use a buttered knife to cut into 1-inch squares.

Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Makes about 2 pounds, 64 pieces.

SHORTCUT CARAMELS: Prepare as above, except substitute 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk for cream. This mixture will take less time to reach 248 degrees F, about 15 to 20 minutes instead of 45 to 60 minutes.

From ``Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book,'' Better Homes and Gardens Books.

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES

2/3 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/3 cups unsalted butter

1 cup maple sugar OR granulated sugar

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Blend together nuts, flour, salt, cloves and cinnamon and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar in a heavy-duty mixer or food processor until light and fluffy. Add egg white and vanilla and continue to beat. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, in batches, continuing to mix until well blended.

Form into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 8 minutes or until golden brown. Or roll out to about 1/4- inch thick, cut into shapes, place on cookie sheets and bake 8 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, cookies may be rolled in or dusted with powdered sugar while they are still warm. Makes about 16 cookies.

From ``Red Sage,'' by Mark Miller, Ten Speed Press.

BAY SCALLOP AND TOMATO GRATIN 

The most important thing to remember with scallops is to get the freshest ones you can and then not cook them any longer than absolutely necessary you don't want to r isk toughening them. Here, the scallops are cooked to perfection. First, they're given a quick toss on the stovetop, so that they take on some color, then they're spooned into individual gratin dishes (you could do this in one pan a pie dish, even), covered with a garlic and herb crust and run under the broiler for a crispy, golden finish. This is short-order cooking at its best.

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

6 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

3 sprigs thyme, leaves only, finely chopped

3 sprigs basil, leaves only, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled, split, germ removed and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/4 pounds bay scallops

3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Toss together bread crumbs, 1/2 of parsley, thyme, basil and 3/4 of garlic; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Butter 6 shallow gratin dishes. (Dishes should be only about 1 inch deep and about 6 inches in diameter.)

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over high heat until very hot.

Pat scallops dry, then season with salt and pepper and then slip into pan. (Do this in batches, if necessary.) Cook, turning scallops as needed, until golden on both sides, 2 minutes.

Toss in diced tomatoes along with remaining parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more, to cook off some of tomato juice.

Divide scallop mixture evenly among gratin dishes and sprinkle an equal amount of seasoned bread crumbs over each dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over each gratin and slide dishes under preheated broiler 2 minutes. Watch closely or until tops are golden brown. Immediately pull dishes from under broiler.

To serve, herb-crusted scallops should be served in their gratin dishes, so place hot dishes on heatproof dinner plates and rush gratins to table. If prepared in a single dish, divide scallops among heated dinner plates and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

From ``Daniel Boulud's Cafe Boulud Cookbook,'' by Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan, Scribner.

PERFECT YANKEE INN POPOVERS

The first time I ever had popovers was at the original Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Vt. The old inn was a simple, graceful, white-shingled Victorian-era structure with a charmingly slanted front porch. Sadly, that original building burned down and was replaced by a more formal, somewhat pretentious edifice. Popovers are still served in some of the best traditional New England inn restaurants, arriving at the table hot from the oven, cozily wrapped in a starched white napkin. Leavened only by eggs and air, these crisp, airy, old-fashioned creations seem sort of magical and almost quaint. I like to serve popovers as an accompaniment to a soup or salad meal or for breakfast, spread with jam or maple butter.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups whole, low-fat OR nonfat milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Generously grease a 12-mold muffin tin.

Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl to sift and blend.

Whisk eggs with milk and melted butter in another bowl until well blended. Pour liquid ingredients over flour mixture and whisk just until batter is smooth. It should be consistency of thick cream. (Batter can be made a couple of hours ahead and held at cool room temperature or refrigerated. Whisk again before using.)

Pour batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. If any cups remain unfilled, spoon about 2 tablespoons water into bottoms of empty cups.

Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake 15 to 20 minutes or until popovers are risen, browned and crisp. Do not open oven until near end of baking time.

Unmold onto a wire rack and use point of a small knife to pierce a small hole in side of each popover to allow steam to vent.

Serve immediately. Makes 1 0 to 12 popovers.

From ``The New England Cookbook,'' by Brooke Dojny, The Harvard Common Press.

BAKED VIRGINIA HAM

I was in the Junior's kitchen talking with the chef one morning, listening carefully as he told me how he glazes these delicious hams. ``Maple syrup . . . that's it. Why do anything else, when that's all you need?'' Well, I tried it. And he's right.

It coats the ham, giving it a wonderful shiny look. But, as the ham bakes, the syrup also caramelizes into a slightly sweet complex flavor that makes you think you want another bite, then another. Try it, but don't skimp on the ingredients.

Buy a sugar-cured ham, plump, pink and fully cooked. For the best flavor, choose one that's still on-the-bone. For the syrup, make sure it's 100 percent maple syrup not the imitation kind. That's the best, the chef assures me.

1 fully cooked smoked whole ham with bone (12 to 16 pounds) OR 1 shank OR butt half of ham with bone (6 to 8 pounds)

Whole cloves (optional)

100 percent pure maple syrup (about 2 cups for whole ham; 1 cup for half of ham)

Fit a roasting pan with a rack. Carefully remove net from ham, if there is one, without tearing fat on ham. If roasting ham for a company dinner, score fat into diamonds and stud each diamond with cloves. Place ham, fat-side-up, on rack and pour about 1-inch hot water into pan.

Bake ham in preheated 325-degree oven, without covering, according to directions that come with ham or until thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 135 degrees F (temperature will rise at least 5 degrees while standing after ham comes out of oven. Roasting will take 2 3/4 to 3 hours for a 16-pound whole ham; 2 to 2 1/4 hours for an 8-pound half ham. Check frequently to be sure there is still water in pan, adding more if necessary to keep about 1-inch in pan at all times.

About 1 hour before end of roasting time, brush top and sides of ham generously with maple syrup. Continue basting and glazing ham ever 15 minutes. Last 3 minutes, turn on broiler and broil ham until it is very glazed and bubbly; watch carefully.

Remove ham from oven and let stand 15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. If ham is studded with cloves, remove before serving. Makes 20 to 24 servings (whole ham) or 10 to 12 servings (half ham).

From ``Welcome to Junior's!'' by Marvin and Walter Rosen with Beth Allen, William Morrow.

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PHOTO (1 --2) New cookbooks serve up delicious ideas for holiday festivities.