Lent, the season of penance is upon us, and like other Christians I've been giving some thought to what I might do for this time of atonement. I certainly had enough fun during the Carnival season and in a way, I'm rather glad I can look forward to several weeks of peace and quiet, and perhaps some simple meals. But on Ash Wednesday, I noticed several restaurants and cafés touting seafood specials, Lenten buffets, and myriad meatless offerings. When I was growing up, we didn't have extravagant seafood or other enjoyable meatless meals; rather we had things like fried egg sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches, tuna a la king of toast, potato and egg gumbo, and Mama's salmon croquettes. These items weren't bad but they weren't very enjoyable either. Well, after all, it was a time to fast and abstain, not a time to go searching for the biggest seafood meal that could be found. And now that I've had my say on the subject from my soapbox, I'll tell you about some of the dishes that have long been a part of my Lenten repertoire. I consider them to be cleansing for the body as well as the soul. For the most part, they're easy to prepare and a toss green salad is a fine accompaniment to most of them.

Linguine with peppery white clam sauce

• Makes 4 to 6 servings
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper or a pinch of cayenne
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can chopped clams with juice
• 3/4 pound linguini, cooked according to package directions and drained, reserving
• 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional garnish

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the red pepper or cayenne, the claims with their juice, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for six to eight minutes. Toss the linguine with the clam sauce, pasta cooking liquid, lemon juice and parsley. Sprinkle with black pepper, the cheese (if using), and serve immediately.  

Baked Catfish

I have a great supplier for locally caught catfish and I like them plainly baked with just a little lemon juice and butter served with boiled potatoes and a bit of chopped fresh parsley.

• Baked fish fillets
• Makes 4 servings
• 4 catfish fillets, each about 8 ounces
• 4 tablespoons plus 6 teaspoons butter
• Salt to taste
• Cayenne to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• 6 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer with four tablespoons of the butter. Season the fish with salt, cayenne and black pepper and put into the baking dish. Sprinkle the fish with the green onions and half of the wine. Mix together the remaining wine with the mustard and brush the tops of the fish with this mixture. Sprinkle the fish with the bread crumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Then turn on the broiler to high and run the baking dish under it. Broil until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.   Crawfish pizza On Lenten Sundays, I splurge just a bit on a later afternoon supper. Since the crawfish are plentiful this season, they're reasonably priced and so versatile.

• Makes about 4 servings
• 1 large pizza bread crust
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce or commercial pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
• Salt and cayenne to taste
• 1/2 pound freshly grated mozarella cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly oil the baking sheet. Place the pizza bread crust on the prepared pan, then spread it evenly with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the oil. Set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions, the crawfish tails and season with salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for about two minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Spread the crawfish mixture over the tomato sauce, then top with the cheeses. Sprinkle with the oregano. Bake until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.  

Tuna Pasta

Many times during Lent, my mother and I would share a Friday lunch. Tired of tuna salad, we often turned to this quick dish. It's my idea of comfort food, and you can serve it on toast or tossed with angel hair pasta.

• TUNA A LA KING
• Makes 2 servings
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (6 1/8) can solid white tuna, undrained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk or water
• Pinch of dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Sauté the onions, bell pepper and celery in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tuna and flake with a fork. Add the soup and milk or water and stir to blend. Add the thyme, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over toast or pasta.   This last one was a favorite of my Aunt Lois.

Welsh Rarebit

Makes about 8 servings

• 2 pounds American or Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white or green asparagus stalks
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
• 1 teaspoon Creole or coarse-grained mustard
• Thick slices of toasted French bread or brioche

Melt the cheese in the top of a double boiler. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the asparagus and season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Add the mustard and stir to blend. Spoon the mixture over the toast and serve hot.