appreciate good cooking, the following recipes, taken from Jimmy Schmidt's "Cooking for all Seasons'', are a perfect celebration.

Taken from the Spring section of Mr. Schmidt's book, now available at the Bermuda Library, they are designed to take advantage of fresh ingredients at their seasonal best.

Whether you're dining en famille, or entertaining guests, these are sure to impress.

FENNEL AND SHALLOT SOUP 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 cups shallots, chopped 18 cups poultry stock 4 lge. fennel bulbs (about 41 lbs.), trimmed and sliced (reserve 1 cup minced fennel greens) 1 cup fennel seeds 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup sour cream Salt, freshly ground white pepper to taste 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese MELT butter in a large pot over low heat. Add shallots, saute until they begin to soften -- about 10 minutes. Add stock, fennel bulbs and fennel seeds.

Simmer until tender -- about 21 hours.

Puree soup in a blender in batches and strain through a fine sieve. Whisk in heavy and sour creams. Adjust salt and pepper. Stir in fennel greens. Ladle soup into warm bowls, garnish with grated cheese and serve. Yield: 8 servings.

CHICKEN LINGUINE WITH PEAS AND TARRAGON A great, simple recipe for Spring pasta. Keep the meat tender, pasta al dente, and vegetables crisp for the best contrast.

One 21 to 3 lb. whole chicken 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 tbsp. chopped shallots 1 cup mushrooms, quartered, stems trimmed 1 cup dry white wine 11 cups heavy cream Salt, coarsely ground black pepper to taste 11 cups fresh peas, blanched to tender (about 3 minutes) 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves 1 lb. linguine noodles 1 cup grated Romano cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese PRE-HEAT oven to 400 degrees F. Roast chicken on a rack in a roasting pan set on the lower rack of the oven. Cook until golden brown, about 11 hours.

Remove, let cool, and pull off all the meat. Dice into 1 -inch pieces.

In large skillet over high heat, combine the butter, shallots, and mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, cooking until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and heat thoroughly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add the peas and tarragon, and heat through. Remove from heat.

In a large amount of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Transfer to a strainer, rinse with warm water, and drain well. Add the pasta to the skillet with the cheeses and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 sesrvings.

SWORDFISH WITH GINGER AND GRAPEFRUIT 1 cup fish stock 3 cup dry white wine 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice 1 cup chopped shallots 2 tbsp. Ginger Puree (see recipe below) 1 cup peeled, finely julienned fresh ginger 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 12 tbsp. (11 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 tbsp. Angostura bitters Salt, freshly ground white pepper to taste 2 tbsp. grated grapefruit rind 12 lge. grapefruit sections 4 7-oz. swordfish steaks, skin/fat removed 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. chopped scallion greens PRE-HEAT grill or broiler. In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, combine stock, wine, grapefruit juice, and shallots. Cook until reduced to 1 cup -- about 9 minutes. Mix in Ginger Puree. Strain through a fine sieve.

In a small saucepan, combine ginger, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until ginger is tender -- about 15 minutes. Drain. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring grapefruit reduction to a boil.

Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, cooking until sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 4 minutes. Add bitters and adjust salt and pepper. Add grapefruit rind, cooked ginger, and grapefruit sections.

Remove from heat.

Rub swordfish surfaces with olive oil. Place on grill and cook until seared -- about 3 minutes. Turn over to finish -- about 2 minutes, depending on thickness of the swordfish.

Position swordfish on warm serving plates. Rewarm sauce for 1 minute and spoon sauce over the fish, placing three grapefruit sections on each piece. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

COOKING NOTES: The bitters are quite fragrant, so adjust the amount to your taste. You can also substitute aperitiffs such as Campari, Punt e Mes, or Pimm's Cup for the bitters.

Choose thick swordfish steaks to retain more moisture during cooking. Select wider, thinner steaks that will cook through faster if you prefer fish well done.

If sauce separates, remove grapefruit with a slotted spoon, add more juice and reduce over high heat until thickened. Add more butter and bitters to balance.

Return segments and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

GRILLED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH RED WINE AND PISTACHIOS The crunchy topping is a wonderful texture contrast to the tender meat.

2 cups beef or veal stock 2 cups dry red wine, preferably pinot noir 1 cup garlic cloves, roasted 1 cup chopped shallots 1 cup chopped fresh parsley Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped 1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted and chopped 8 8-oz. tenderloin steaks 2 tbsp. virgin olive or corn oil Sprigs fresh parsley for garnish PRE-HEAT grill or broiler.

In a large saucepan, combine stock, wine, 3 tablespoons of the roasted garlic, shallots, and 1 cup of the chopped parsley. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into another saucepan, then adjust salt and pepper. Stir in remaining parsley, then reduce heat to low.

In a small bowl, combine remaining garlic, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and 2 tablespoons of the red wine sauce. Mix well.

Rub steak surfaces with the oil. Grill until well seared on the surface -- about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until you reach desired doneness: about 4 minutes for medium-rare, depending on the thickness.

Brush steak tops with a small amount of sauce, then press them, top-side down, into pistachio mixture, coating the suface well. Position steaks on serving plates, spoon remaining sauce around them, garnish with parsley sprigs, and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

RACK OF VEAL WITH WILD MUSHROOMS This recipe contains all the rich flavours of the morels and the veal, and the lightness of the greens.

2 lbs. bone-in loin of veal 2 cups veal stock 2 lge. red bell peppers (recipe follows), roasted, peeled, seeded 1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 oz. wild mushrooms (preferably morels), trimmed 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 head mizuni (baby mustard greens) 1 yellow bell pepper, roasted (recipe follows), peeled, seeded, and julienned 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon 1 tbsp. snipped fresh chives 1 tbsp. waterpacked green peppercorns, drained 4 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley or tarragon PRE-HEAT oven to 400 degrees F. Place veal in a roasting pan and cook until medium-rare (internal temperature of 120 degrees F) -- about 50 minutes. While veal is cooking, in a 12-inch skillet bring stock to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

Puree 1 of the red peppers in a blender and set aside. Julienne the other one and set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 15 minutes. Add red papper puree and reduced stock. Cook again until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 5 minutes. Strain through a medium sieve, then add vinegar, adjust salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over high heat, saute mushrooms in butter until browned -- about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, drain.

Arrange greens on serving plates and distribute julienned red pepper, yellow pepper, mushrooms, tarragon, chives, and peppercorns over them. Slice veal off the bone into sixteen slices. Lay slices over the greens, spoon the sauce over them, garnish with parsley sprigs, and serve.

VARIATIONS: The sauce adapts well to variations using other types of peppers and richer vegetables, such as fennel and sorrel. Match corresponding herbs to your sauce-vegetable combination.

COOKING NOTE: Roasting the veal at 400 degrees F keeps it moist and pink. For a more well done roast, reduce oven to 350 degrees F after 15 minutes. You will need to cook the veal a little longer but meat will be moist because of initial searing. Yield: 4 servings.

ROASTING PEPPERS Roasting peppers develops their natural flavours and allows them to be easily peeled. If you want your peppers crisp and not roasted, peel them by hand.

PLACE whole pepper on an open gas flame or outdoor grill or under a broiler and rotate pepper until all the skin is black. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove to a counter top. Remove skin with your hands.

KIWI ICE CREAM 8 large egg yolks 11 cups sugar Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups half-and-half, scalded 6 large ripe kiwis, peeled and cut into pieces 1 cup heavy cream IN a medium-size saucepan, combine egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk in scalded half-and-half. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 10 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and strain into a blender. Add kiwis and cream, puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Transfer the custard to an ice-cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions until thickened. Freeze in a covered container overnight. If frozen solid, allow to soften slightly before serving. Yield: 11 quarts.

GINGER AND PASSION FRUIT CREME BRULEE This recipe is perfect with exotic Spring fruits. Simply substitute exotic fruit purees for the passion fruit.

2 cups heavy cream 1 cup half-and-half 10 large egg yolks 1 cup superfine sugar 1 tbsp. vanilla extract 1 cup frozen passion fruit puree (see note below) 1 tbsp. ginger puree 1 cup packed light brown sugar PRE-HEAT oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium-size saucepan, scald cream and half-and-half over medium heat. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Beat rapidly with a wire whisk until light. Slowly add hot cream, passion fruit and ginger purees while continuing to whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve. Fill 4 custard dishes to 1 inch below top edge. Place custards in a bain marie (water bath) in the lower third of the oven. Cook until lightly tanned on top and when a skewer inserted into the centre is hot to the touch -- about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a cake rack and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

To serve: Pre-heat broiler. Spread brown sugar evenly across custard tops.

Place under broiler, allowing tops to caramelise but not burn. Allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

COOKING NOTES: Frozen passion fruit puree is available in specialty food stores. Fresh passion fruit yields only about 2 to 3 tablespoons of puree per average-size fruit and will be more expensive.

Whipping eggs to a foamy state and then adding the hot cream creates a light, smooth brulee texture. Avoid over-whipping eggs to a "ribbon'' or the brulee will drop a large volume in the moulds after cooking.

Makes 4 servings.

GINGER PUREE 11 cups peeled and diced fresh ginger 1 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. sugar COMBINE all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until tender -- about 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain. Reserve in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

CASSIS BAVAROIS WITH BERRIES Almond oil for mould (see note below) 3 cup double creme de cassis liqueur 1 tbsp. gelatin 11 cups black currant or raspberry puree (see note below) 5 large egg yolks 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste 1 cup half-and-half, scalded 11 cups heavy cream 1 pint blueberries 1 pint strawberries, halved if large 1 pint raspberries Splash of brandy or cognac Sprigs fresh mint for garnish WIPE 8 custard cups or moulds with the almond oil. Turn upside down on paper towelling until ready to fill.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the creme de cassis with gelatin. Heat mixture in a bain marie (water bath) until gelatin is dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine remaining creme de cassis and berry puree. Warm over medium heat, then remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture.

In a small saucepan, combine egg yolks and sugar, add scalded half-and-half.

Heat over medium until thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon -- about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

In a large bowl, whip cream until thickened but still fluid. Fold into berry mixture. Place bowl over an ice bath and, using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until heavily thickened. Immediately pour into moulds, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Run a knife around edges of moulds to loosen the bavarois and position them in the centre of serving plates. Toss fresh berries with brandy and distribute over the bavarois. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve. Yield: 8 servings.

COOKING NOTES: To make the berry puree, thaw frozen berries in a strainer over a saucepan, allowing juices to collect in the pan. Reserve berries. Reduce juices over medium heat until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon -- about 10 minutes depending on the original volume. Using a blender, puree berries with juice until smooth. Strain.

For best results, whipped cream and berry mixture should have the same texture when combined.

Almond oil is usually available from specialty food stores and baking suppliers.