Surprisingly, most good cooks - even the most talented professionals - don't feel they cook much differently from anyone else. But as someone who has spent years watching all kinds of cooks at work, I know that decisions, often unspoken, at each step make the difference. I've learned to be very inquiring about look, smell, taste, and texture, all critical to recreating a dish in the image of the original.

Fettuccine alla Norcina is a perfect example. It is served at L'Opera on Pine Avenue in Long Beach, California - a city that has regained vitality to match its waterfront setting after long years of stagnation.

The fettuccine was among several dishes on the menu that caught my eye one busy evening. I later called the team of chefs - Stefano Colaiacomo, Luis Lopes, and Donna Woo - and asked them to share a few recipes. Since restaurant dishes are usually designed to be made one serving at a time, recipes invariably need retooling for home kitchens. But first, the ingredients and steps must be reviewed.

The L'Opera chefs make their pastas fresh, so I asked how they would feel if I suggested purchased fresh pasta as an alternative. No problem, they said, but be sure not to overcook it.

I knew we had a dish that would be great for the harried home cooks among us when they said to put the pasta water on to boil before you start the sauce.

How do they make the sauce? Exact proportions aren't really important. It's the way in which the ingredients are treated. The sausages are browned just enough to develop flavor instead of being cooked through. Garlic is subtle in this dish. It's cooked just until golden; less time and the taste will be harsh, more and it will be bitter and scorched. How much mild red pepper to use? Enough to give a mellow taste, but be sure the peppers are skinned and cut in thin slivers. How much white wine? Enough to cover the pan bottom. And so it goes with each ingredient and each step. When it came to the cream - the recipe calls for at least a cup per person - I asked the chefs if they would mind if I also gave a less rich alternative. Of course not, they assured me, if it tastes good. I served the cream and the milk versions side by side in our test kitchen, and my cohorts had to taste each several times to decide which was which. Some tasters actually liked the milk-based sauce best.