here. As we celebrate Heritage Month, what could be more appropriate than creating a dish from one of the many countries whose citizens have contributed to the success of our Island home -- or even making something that is considered typically Bermudian? Bermuda has many traditional dishes and, as older cookbooks show, the recipes reflect a simple lifestyle which took full advantage of homegrown produce.

PAWPAW MONTESPAN 3 cup grated cheese 1 lb. or more top round ground 3 small green pawpaws 2 onions, chopped fine 3 can tomato soup or raw tomatoes Cracker crumbs COOK pawpaws until soft, mash and layer in bottom of baking dish with some of the tomato. Saute meat and onion in butter, and layer in baking dish with some grated cheese. Alternate these layers, ending with pawpaw at the top. Add cracker crumbs and remaining grated cheese, with several lumps of butter. Set baking dish in a pan of water and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes.

(Bermuda's Best Recipes) .

JOHNNY CAKE 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 1 egg 1 cup milk 1 tbsp. butter, melted 1 cup cornmeal MIX all dry ingredients together. Add beaten egg, melted butter and milk. Roll out dough on a floured pastry board and cut into small pieces. Pre-heat griddle or skillet and grease lightly. Place Johnny cake on hot griddle or skillet. Cook approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

(Traditional Bermuda Recipes) .

BERMUDIAN FISH CHOWDER 3 lb. fish bones (e.g. hind, snapper, rock or grouper) 1 gallon water 1 lb. finely chopped onions 3 medium-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 oz. bacon (cut into strips) 4 tbsp. butter 2 heaped tbsp. corn flour 1 tsp. thyme 6 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 4 oz. tomato puree 4 parsley stalks 1 bay leaf 2 celery stalks 1 whole onion Salt & pepper WASH fish bones thoroughly and place in a thick-bottomed pan. Add celery stalks, parsley stalks, whole onion and water. Bring to the boil and skim. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain stock into a clean pan, place fish bones on a tray and keep in a cool place. Melt butter in a thick-bottomed pan, saute bacon and thyme for five minutes. Add the tomato concassee, tomato puree and fish stock. Bring to the boil, let simmer for ten minutes. Separate the flesh from the bones. Add the fish flesh and the remainder of the ingredients.

Thicken the chowder with diluted corn flour. Correct the seasoning and colour.

(Colour can be rectified by adding gravy browning). Serve with sherry peppers and black rum. (Chef Fred Ming in Traditional Bermuda Recipes).

PEAS 'N' RICE 2 cups pigeon or black eye peas Few sprigs of thyme Salt, pepper to taste 1 medium chopped onion 2 tbsp. bacon fat 8 cups coconut water or chicken stock 3 cups rice 1 tbsp. tomato puree PLACE bacon fat in a large skillet and cook the onion without browning. Add thyme, peas and half the coconut water or chicken stock. Cook until tender.

Add tomato paste, rice, salt and pepper and the remainder of the coconut water or stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Place in oven after bringing to a boil, cook for 30 minutes or until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender.

Note: Let beans soak overnight to facilitate cooking. (Traditional Bermuda Recipes) .

* * * Traditional English cooking encompasses a complete array of good, wholesome meals made with the freshest ingredients. Hearty and simple, its style has evolved from recipes handed down through the generations.

ROAST LAMB WITH APRICOT STUFFING (Start this dish the night before serving.) 2-3 dried apricots 2 oz. butter or margarine 1 medium onion 2 oz. fresh wholemeal or white breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Salt and pepper 1 pint (4 oz.) stock 1 egg yolk 2 lbs. boned shoulder of lamb A little dripping SOAK apricots in water overnight. Next day, drain and cut them up quite small.

Melt butter or margarine in a frying pan. Peel and chop onions and lightly fry them until transparent but not brown. Mix in apricots, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Moisten with one or two tablespoons stock.

Beat egg yolk and add it to stuffing with a little more stock, if necessary, to make it moist but not sticky.

Open out lamb, season with pepper and a very little salt. Spread stuffing over it. Roll it up and secure with string to keep in the filling. Put in a roasting pan and dot with dripping. Roast in hot oven, 450 degrees F. for ten minutes. Reduce to moderate temperature (350 degrees F.) for a further 1 to 1 1 hours. Serves four to six.

* * * The cuisine of Portugal could be described as Iberian despite bearing no resemblance to that of its Iberian neighbour, Spain. Basically simple and "a food of the people'', the free use of locally grown spices and herbs in unusual and diverse combinations is what sets Portuguese cooking apart and make it special.

BIFE A' PORTUGUESEA (Portuguese Steak) 4 large garlic cloves, peeled 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 beef tenderloin steaks, 3 -inch thick 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. butter 1 large bay leaf, crumbled 8 thin slices prosciutto or other lean smoked ham 1 cup dry red wine 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. finely chopped parsley 1 lemon cut into 8 wedges PREHEAT oven to 250 degrees F. Crush two of the garlic cloves and cut 2 lengthwise in half. Mash the crushed garlic, vinegar, salt and a few grindings of pepper to a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle or in a bowl with the back of a spoon. Rub paste into steaks with the fingers, pressing it firmly into both sides of the meat.

In a heavy ten- to 12-inch skillet, melt butter in the olive oil over moderate heat. When foam has almost subsided, add garlic halves and bay leaf. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Then, with a slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic and bay leaf. Add steaks and cook for two to three minutes on each side, turning with tongs and regulating heat so they colour quickly and evenly. Steaks should be well browned, but still pink inside.

Transfer meat to individual baking dishes or fairly deep plates and keep warm in the oven. Add ham slices to remaining fat in skillet and cook over high heat, turning them frequently for one to two minutes.

Using tongs, place two slices of ham on each steak. Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet, add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping in any brown particles clinging to pan sides and bottom. Pour sauce over steaks, sprinkle with parsley and garnish each serving with lemon wedges. Serve at once. Bife a'portuguesa is usually served with fried potato slices carefully arranged around the edges of the serving dishes.

Serves 4.

* * * Classic French cuisine is known for its fine ingredients and superb presentation. Desserts are particularly elegant, rich and sinfully delicious.

They are also high in calories and cholesterol, but in the following version, cooking expert Richard Grausman offers a lighter version of one of France's most famous desserts.

POTS DE CREME, VANILLE ET CAFE (Rich Vanilla and Coffee Custards) 3 cups milk or light cream 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar 2 eggs 5 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1 teaspoons instant coffee PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, bring milk and sugar to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk eggs and yolks together lightly.

Stirring constantly, pour the hot milk and sugar mixture slowly into the eggs.

Stir in vanilla. Divide custard into two equal portions. Add coffee to one portion and stir until dissolved. Strain the custard into small pots de creme "pots'' or 1 -cup ramekins. Be sure that all of the foam is spooned from the top of each. Place the "pots'' into a roasting pan. Add water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the "pots''. Place on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the custard comes out dry or clean. Do not let the custard boil.

If the custard begins to puff, an indication that it is beginning to boil, remove it from the oven immediately. Allow the "pots'' to cool and then refrigerate for two hours or more. (The custard can be made a day ahead. Keep refrigerated). Serve one vanilla and one coffee to each person. Serves six.

(At Home with the French Classics by Richard Grausman) .

* * * Austrian cooking reflects everything from robust farm recipes to the refined elegance of Vienna's chic salons, and in particular the multi-ethnic influences of its heritage. Some dishes, like the famous plum dumplings, are loved by peasants and princes alike! PLUM DUMPLINGS (Zwetschennknodel) 1 1 tbsp. butter 1 1 cups water 1 1 cups flour dash salt 1-2 eggs 1 1 lbs. plums 1 cup bread crumbs 1 generous cup butter 1 tbsp. sugar HEAT butter with water in saucepan. Add flour and salt all at once and stir vigorously until mixture no longer sticks to spoon and pan. Remove from stove; cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is well blended.

Form a thick roll. Cut thin slices. Wipe plums with a dry towel. Wrap each in a slice of the dough until covered all over. Place dumplings in boiling salted water; cook slowly five minutes. Fry bread crumbs in butter until yellow. Roll dumplings in fried bread crumbs. Sprinkle with sugar and serve warm.

* * * Pasta is as synonymous with Italy as amore. Among the many variations of pasta, spaghetti remains a classic. Boiled to al dente perfection, it is SPAGHETTI AL PESTO 1 lb. spaghetti 2 cups fresh basil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons pine nuts 1 1 cups of olive oil 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese COOK spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente. Place all other ingredients in blender and blend until they resemble a paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the spaghetti, toss and serve. Serves 4.

* * * Caribbean cuisine reflects the lifestyles, diversity and colourful personalities of its peoples. Each island makes particular use of spices, local fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood and spices in its own way.

WEST INDIAN SHRIMP 3 lbs. fresh shrimp 1 fresh lemon 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. curry powder 2 sticks butter flour COOK shrimp in boiling salted water with the lemon half until cooked. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, shell and de-vein. Mix together pepper, garlic powder, hot pepper sauce, poultry seasoning, thyme and curry powder. Marinate the shrimp in the mixture for approximately 25 minutes.

Melt butter in a skillet. Dip shrimp in flour and fry until golden brown.

Serves 4-6.

* * * Food from the Far East is as distinctive as the cultures from which it emanates. Chinese cooking is noted for its refreshing variations in basic foodstuffs and preparation. Sizzling hot oil is the marrying technique which brings out the best qualities of most dishes and preserves the all-important crispness and vitamins of vegetables.

CANTONESE FRIED RICE 3-4 dried or fresh Chinese mushrooms sugar soy sauce sesame oil 3 1 oz. shrimp 1 egg white 2 tsp. cornstarch oil for frying 5 oz. chicken breast 1 egg white 1 tsp. cornstarch 5 oz. cold roast pork 1 cup peas 2 large eggs, beaten 2 tsp. salt 3 cups cooked rice Pinch of pepper 1-2 tbsp. rice wine WASH shrimp and mix by hand with half the egg white and cornstarch, then stir fry very lightly in sesame oil. Dice chicken into 1 -inch cubes, mix by hand with the other half of the egg white and cornstarch, stir fry in medium hot oil. Take care that they do not stick together. Dice pork in 1 -inch cubes and stir fry. Heat wok and cook egg. When cooked, cut into 1-inch pieces. Clean wok and heat three to four tablespoons oil, add shrimp, pork mushrooms and chicken. Stir fry and season to taste with sugar, soy sauce and salt. Add cooked rice and mix well. Add peas and cooked egg, season with salt and pepper and a few drops of rice wine. (Chef Fred Ming, Bermuda College) .

ALFRESCO ELEGANCE -- These beautifully dressed picnickers enjoy a sun-dappled spread beneath the cedars. Taken at the turn of the century, the photograph captures the garb of the day -- elaborate hats and starched dresses with high collars and long sleeves for the ladies, collars and ties for the men. (Photo courtesy of the Bermuda Archives).

WHEELIN' AND DEALIN'! -- Whatever point the young man was making, it met with only faint amusement from his lady friends. Taking a break from cycling, perhaps the debate was on where to go for a picnic. (Photo courtesy of the Bermuda Archives).