Potato

This is great warm or at room temperature.

Trimming all corners and ragged edges from the carrots and potatoes is very Japanese; rounded edges also ensure even cooking. In Japan we used metal molds to cut our carrots into plum blossoms for a seasonal motif. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Turkey sausages would also be delicious. Accompany this with good bread; follow it with a salad and an assortment of cheeses.

Buy cooked fresh lobster meat and you can whip this salad together in about 30 minutes. Cooking your own lobster, however, not only ensures the freshest flavor and the tenderest meat, but you get more bang for the buck—you can use the lobster shells to make stock and lobster oil.

Great served as a side dish with roast chicken, pork chops or veal chops.

Roast these up to four hours ahead; put them in to reheat when the prime rib is done.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 9 1/2 hr (includes chilling) The potatoes in this recipe are chilled after boiling to get them very firm so they won't fall apart when you slice and sauté them. Some of our editors think chilling also helps the potatoes develop a better-browned crust when sautéing.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

In the cuisine of Spain, a tortilla is an open-face omelet.

To impart smoky flavor to food when using an outdoor gas grill, add a handful of wood chips (soaked in cold water 30 minutes and drained) to a smoker box and place it under the grates and on top of ceramic briquettes in the far right or left corner of the grill.

This makes a rich but surprisingly light, torte. An absolute, worth-the-price-of-the-book winner. Mashed sweet potatoes make a great substitute for the traditional pureed chestnut paste. Chestnut puree is available kosher, but I have never been able to find it "kosher for Passover." It may seem unusual, but I can assure you of two things — it tastes divine and it is easier than buying fresh-in-the-shell chestnuts, roasting, poaching, and grating them to get them ready for this cake. You can also serve this in squares, as French-style "petit fours." The glaze slicks this up but is not necessary—a dusting of cocoa is just fine.

This dish is a nice choice for a special breakfast because the potatoes can be mashed in advance, then chilled overnight in the ramekins. Serve with plenty of buttered toast.