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Mallorca, Balearic Islands. For thousands of years, the Mediterranean island of Mallorca has been a destination for travelers. Its position south east of Spain, almost equidistant from France, Italy and Algeria, makes it an ideal hub. Mallorca's most famous visitor was Frederic Chopin -- the very piano he used to compose some of his Nocturnes remains exactly where he left it, in a monastery cell overlooking a sheltered garden of orange and lemon trees. Father Junipero Serra, founder of the missions of San Francisco and San Diego, was born on the island in 1713.

The Greeks called Mallorca "Onion island," and the Romans cultivated olives and imported vines, while sending Mallorcan figs (which are still famous) back to Italy. The Arabs brought oranges, lemons, almonds, eggplant, rice and saffron, all staples in today's Mallorcan cooking. Last, from the New World, the Spanish carried back the now indispensable tomatoes, potatoes and peppers.

Well, not quite the last. Wandering around a Mallorcan supermarket, I realize the traveler's yearning for home is still with us. The shelves are an instant guide to the nationality of island visitors. I spot lemon curd and Earl Grey tea for the British, pumpernickel and sauerkraut for the Germans, and Ritz crackers and peanut butter for us Americans. Skirting the Italian mortadella, Dutch Gouda and French mustard, I head hastily for the produce counter. Paradise, even in January!

Toting my shopping bag home to our borrowed kitchen, I proudly show the contents -- baby artichokes, fresh peas, green beans, favas (similar to limas), fragrantleaf celery and three kinds of radish -- to Catalina Adrover. Catalina's family has lived in Mallorca as long as anyone can remember and she is a mine of information.

She talks of 'tumbet,' a vegetable casserole made often of eggplant, green pepper and potato fried in olive oil, topped with fresh tomato sauce, but almost infinitely variable. The crisp summer salad called 'trempo' features scarcely ripe tomatoes, green pepper, onion and apple or pear and topped with pickled samphire (a rock plant which grows on the seashore and looks like wild asparagus).

"And then there are 'sopas' (soups)", continues Catalina. When I ask for a recipe, she laughs, "No, no, we add whatever is to hand, but it must have bread". I later learn that, as well as thickening soups, the moist, slightly crumbling island bread appears in many dishes. Breadcrumbs bind and top vegetable gratins such as 'bledes ofegades,' a sweet-sour combination of Swiss chard, raisins, pine nuts and garlic.

Bread is the foundation of 'pamboli,' literally "bread with oil," toasts topped with chopped olives, goat cheese or anchovy, always with a sprinkling of oil. Most popular of all is 'pamboli amb tomatig,' a toast rubbed with a freshly cut tomato half, often sprinkled with wine vinegar. The name is Catalan, reflecting the strongest of all national influences on Mallorca -- the Catalonian coast of Spain is less than l50 miles away.

I'm impressed with the seasoning of these Mallorcan dishes -- light, delicate, leaving the sweet vegetable flavors to emerge. The principle is quite different from the pungent Proven�al approach, though many of the flavorings are shared, such as garlic, olive oil, lemon, saffron, and the herbs thyme, bay leaf, rosemary and flat leaf parsley. Even the current craze for chili pepper is refreshingly ignored -- I have trouble finding a single example in the market.

I've left the best Mallorcan dish to last -- 'coca,' a kind of pizza with a tender crust which can be topped with sugar, pine nuts and candied fruit, or more commonly with onions, olives, red peppers, and sometimes with fish. Here is Catalina's version.

Coca Amb Pebres (Yeast Pastry with Red Peppers)
serves 4
Coca can be made round, oval or in a rectangle. Most importantly, the dough must be spread thin.

For the dough:
3/4 cup warm water
1 package (1/4 oz) dry yeast
1 3/4 cups flour, more as needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
2 medium red peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1/2 cup pitted Greek-style olives
6 canned artichoke hearts, cut in wedges
6 oz cleaned squid or white fish fillets, cut in strips

For the dough: sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of the water and leave 5 minutes or until dissolved. Sift flour with salt onto a work surface and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil. Mix central ingredients with your fingertips, then gradually draw in flour to make a dough. Knead, adding more flour as necessary, for 5-10 minutes or until elastic -- the dough should be soft but only slightly sticky.Transfer it to an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, 3/4 - 1 hour.

Heat the broiler. Broil the peppers until black and the skin is loosened, turning them to cook them evenly. Cover them in plastic wrap to retain steam and leave them to cool. Peel them, cut them in half and discard core and seeds. Rinse in cold water, dry, and cut the peppers in strips.

When dough is risen, knead lightly to knock out air. On a floured surface, roll it to a l2-inch round or 9x14-inch rectangle, stretching to size with your hands. It should be about a l/2 inch thick. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet and press on the surface of the dough with your fingertips so it does not puff evenly. Mix olive oil with paprika, salt and pepper and brush generously on dough. Spread evenly with sliced scallions, artichoke wedges, pepper strips, squid or fish and olives. Brush over remaining oil. Leave in a warm place l0-l5 minutes until dough is puffy. Heat oven to 450�F.

Bake coca in heated oven l0-l5 minutes until dough brown and crisp. Serve at room temperature.

Anne Willan is the founder of the famous French cooking school, LaVarenne, and has also served as president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is the author of over a dozen internationally published cookbooks.