Beverages

For this rustic French meal, start with mixed greens dressed with lemon vinaigrette; serve new potatoes tossed in butter and parsley with the beef; and end with plum tarts topped with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The malt flavor of Guinness stout marries well with the sugar and milk in this distinctive ice cream--inspired by a recipe from the files of the American Homebrewers Association--and the faintly bitter aftertaste cuts the sweetness.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a great drink that is guaranteed to take the chill off a winter day. It's also quite nice with an added splash of brandy or Kahlúa.

Finish off this meal with some cookies from the bakery and fresh fruit.

Buy an apple tart for dessert.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

To allow enough time for the soufflés to freeze, make them at least one day before serving.