French

Cassoulet is a robust meal, filled with cured and smoked meats and sausages, baked in a stew of beans until a rich crust forms. According to tradition, the cook repeatedly breaks the crust and pushes it down into the stew.

Tarte Tatin, the classic French dessert, is made by putting butter and sugar in a shallow baking dish, then topping the mixture with apples and a pastry crust. As the dish bakes, the butter and sugar turn into caramel. The finished dessert is inverted onto a plate, with the caramel sauce on top. In this version, pears stand in for apples and the crust and topping are made separately, then assembled before serving.

These thin, elegant cookies get their flavor from dried cranberries and homemade candied lemon peel. Because the lemon peel needs to dry overnight, be sure to begin this recipe one day ahead.

We had lots of apple trees of many varieties in our orchards, and the supply would last for the whole winter. Mostly I had them for a snack or in a dessert, but here's one use in a main course that's a winner. It's incredibly easy yet nutritionally complete. I rather love mixing the sweet carb with the fat and protein in delicious defiance of current diet ideology.

When we visited my grandmother in snowy Alsace, she used to serve us this delicious and filling breakfast, rich in fiber and fruity nutrients. It is still one of my favorite winter breakfasts: true baby food for adults. My grandmother usually served her oatmeal variation with freshly baked brioche or kugelhopf (a wonderful cake with raisins and almonds that is one of the great specialties of Alsace). Today, I sometimes find it a filling meal unto itself, and I skip the bread. If I want a little more protein, I have a bite of cheese or some yogurt.

Life without pasta? Perish the thought. It's not a French thing per se, potatoes being the more ubiquitous starch of choice. But in Alsace, noodles are served with lots of dishes, from fish to game, mostly with heavy sauces somewhat like those from the Piedmont region of Italy. We had pasta a few times a month when I was a kid, but we tended to favor the lighter, more intensely flavored preparations, like this cream-and-lemon combination Tante Caroline developed. She considered it a perfect lunch staple accompanied by a salad and piece of fruit. Her daughter, Louise, tells me it's still very popular with all the kids. Pay attention to the portions!

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew from the south of France, traditionally made by slow cooking. By roasting the vegetables in a hot convection oven, the juices, flavors, and colors are quickly sealed in and the vegetables are succulent and remain distinguishable.

This version of the French classic from the lounge at Craftsteak is both exceptional (chef Shane McBride dry-ages his bone-in strip steak 15 to 20 days) and economical (half the meat, same great flavor).

This French-style tart deserves a sophisticated apple. Our top pick is the Braeburn, which is crisp and sweet-tart with a fruity, almost perfumed flavor. It's a perfect match for the delicate almond filling. The Gala apple makes a nice alternative.

Get professional-looking rolls without using fancy molds.

A great sauce to serve with tongue , this is essentially a mayonnaise, but the egg yolks are cooked instead of raw. I like to make a lot and then keep it in the refrigerator to eat with cold ham too. It's also good as a salad dressing.