Cheese

Any kind of smooth fresh cheese may be used to make coeur à la crème. Flavor will vary with the type of cheese used and also with the proportion of cream added. French fromage frais, English curd cheese, and American farmer cheese are all suitable for this dessert which should be prepared two days before serving.

These can be served as hors d'oeuvres, or placed atop a salad of spinach, walnuts and sliced apples.

Although traditional Italian polenta is simmered for nearly an hour, resulting in a very creamy consistency, for the following recipe we preferred the more rustic texture of this quickly cooked version.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These tender biscuit-like pastries are sprinkled with Greek cheese just before baking.

(Cheese Pastries)

Coconut and chocolate team up in the filling of this impressive cheesecake, which also has a chocolate cookie crust. Begin making the cake a day before serving.

This is a rich yet exquisitely simple dish that can be at its best only if every ingredient is of top quality. The asparagus must be fresh and in season, brightly colored, and crisp, with almost a glow in the center of the stalk. If you can buy butter from Normandy, use it; for Parmesan, use only Parmigiano-Reggiano, with its full, ripe flavor. The asparagus is not actually rôtie, or roasted, but rather sautéed in butter until it has a gilded, roasted appearance. The sprinkling of chopped raw asparagus at the end adds crunch and a slightly nutty taste to a dish of silken textures and flavors.

Here's an easy but sophisticated side dish that makes a great accompaniment to prime rib, pork chops or veal.

When buying flour tortillas, it is important that they be as fresh and soft as possible—neither rigid, dry, nor cracked around the edges. For the recipe below, the tortilla cake slices have a smokier flavor and are crisper when cooked on the grill than when broiled, which leaves them moister.

Be sure to order an uncut wheel of Brie ahead of time from a cheese shop or specialty foods store. The entire wheel is baked with a flavorful chutney; any leftover chutney is great with curries or roasts.

A sophisticated dish made from an assortment of pantry staples.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.