The Top 12 recipes of 1998:

Active Work Time: 15 minutes Total Preparation Time: 3 hours 1 head cabbage 1 (3 1/2-pound) corned beef 1 bunch carrots, tops removed * Remove outer leaves from cabbage and use to line steamer basket.

Note: In August, staff writer Barbara Hansen wrote about Timothy M.

Note: In our late-summer cover story on ice cream sundaes, Nancy Silverton, co-founder of Los Angeles’ Campanile restaurant and La Brea Bakery, gave readers a sense of the thinking that goes into the desserts that make it onto Campanile’s menu.

Note: Chef Michael Roberts not only gave readers his philosophy on entertaining in his August party feature, he gave us a great recipe for his version of birria, Mexican goat stew.

Note: For his September cover story on Asian pears, fruit specialist David Karp asked chef Suzanne Tracht of Jozu in West Hollywood to come up with a recipe that would show off the fruit with the subtle pear taste and the crispness of a firm apple.

Note: For our Super Bowl issue nearly a year ago, staff writer Barbara Hansen found a cassoulet so big, as she put it, “we had to bake it in a turkey roaster because no ordinary casserole could handle it.”

Note: There were several recipes under consideration for this issue from New York chef Zarela Martinez, who wrote a cover story in March on Mexican sauces.

Note: In our July cover package on picnics, Russ Parsons wrote an antipicnic story--he likes his sandwiches indoors, without the sunburns and bug bites.

Note: In early November, baker Amy Pressman told the story of how she achieved “cool mom” status with her son and his friends in part because of her homemade cinnamon buns.

Note: Every year we ask readers to send recipes for favorite holiday foods--turkeys or cookies or, this year, candy.

Note: Our October cover story on the Japanese tv cooking show “Iron Chef” drew a huge response from fans of the show happy to see attention paid to what many called their favorite TV program of any kind anywhere.

Note: When staff writer Mary Curtius profiled Napa Valley chef Greg Cole, he shared a few recipes from his restaurant Celadon.