Epicurious

This recipe originally accompanied Madame Quiche's Quiche Au Fromage . This pastry is short, buttery, and wonderfully easy to put together. I make it in the food processor, for the less it is touched by warm hands, the shorter and flakier it will be. Be sure to let the pastry rest at least one hour at room temperature, so it is easy to roll out, then chill it before baking.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is the soup everyone enjoyed in Louviers for Carnaval. Quick to make, deliciously satisfying and alluring, you will find it hits the spot on a cool late winter to spring evening.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is the best clafouti I have ever tasted, for it is short on flour, long on custard, and the butter gives it an added depth of flavor. Remove the pits if you like. If you leave the pits in the cherries, be sure to warn your guests so they don't crack their teeth!

These layered desserts are a pure flight of fancy. Inspired by the Italian dish lasagna, they use a traditional Peruvian fruit and cheese combo and add the very French technique of brûléeing sugar to create a brittle caramel. Villaran tops them with a caramel crown for a dramatic presentation, but they are just as delicious with nothing more than a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

A true coq au vin is made with the master of the farmyard, a rooster. If you can't find such a beast, use a good-size roasting chicken, and reduce the cooking time (cook it for about one hour, or until the meat is tender and cooked but not falling from the bone).

This traditional, regional vegetable side dish is utterly simple and absolutely delicious. The addition of raisins and pine nuts is distinctively Catalan.

My grandmother Marie "Nanney" Spivey (I am her namesake) always doubles this family favorite and uses two pie shells. She says, "Everybody loves it. You can stir it up in five minutes."

(Editor's Note: As of 2/27/01 ingredient quantities were adjusted for this recipe. It now works wonderfully.) If you want to make savory waffles, add about 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or hard sheep's milk cheese and omit the sugar.

Make this pie with a combination of tart apples — such as Winesap or Granny Smith — and sweet varieties like Fuji, Jonagold, Idared, or Mutsu.

Note that part of the honey-mustard sauce is also used as the marinade.

Proof that strawberries aren't the only kind of fruit that's perfect with shortcakes.

Baking drop scones was always a spectator sport in my house. As soon as the smell started wafting out of the kitchen, my mum would find herself accompanied by her two daughters, perched on kitchen stools and close enough to receive a light dusting of flour. She'd pour the batter into the piping-hot frying pan, and we'd watch, transfixed, as the bubbles rose and she flipped them over till they were golden brown. They'd then be tossed into a bowl lined with a dish towel, and another towel was thrown over to keep them warm. While Mum was distracted with her griddle work, my sister and I would stealthily sneak our hands between the towels and snatch the first drop scones. Buttering them (an essential part of the process) was more difficult to do under the radar. I've often thought of the drop scone ritual over the years, but it's only now that I've asked for the recipe. Perhaps I'd filed drop scones in the childhood drawer in my brain. Now I think it's only fair to try it out myself and create more memories for my own children.