French

Châteaubriand, the classic steak for two made from a center-cut filet, requires little dressing up. Like most high-quality cuts, it's best cooked rare to medium. Serve with sautéed julienned vegetables.

These pretty little cookies are similar to the bakery staples, but made with a flaky, homey, easier version of puff pastry. A liberal sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar in between the layers gives each cookie both sweetness and a hint of spice.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Anne Willan's book The Country Cooking of France. La Truffade If you can't afford truffles, you indulge in Truffade, say the inhabitants of the Auvergne, notoriously among the coldest and most rugged areas of France. Often served with sausages, Truffade is a potato cake flavored with bacon and laden with cheese, a buttress against the worst weather. Nippy Cantal is the local hard cheese, and Gruyère may be substituted.

Though traditionalists may insist that making cassoulet is an all-day affair, this hearty version-cooked with country-style spareribs, the meaty ones located closest to the pork shoulder-can be made in under 3 hours.

Food editor Maggie Ruggiero has taken lentils "from canned to Cannes" in this très simple—and très français—dish.

These have the lively crisp exterior and cloudlike interior you expect from a gougère, but with an incredibly intense combination of smoky bacon, roasted corn, and extra-sharp Cheddar.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

The small potatoes known as fingerlings have a sweet, buttery flavor. Small redskinned potatoes would work well, too.

Split and browned bratwurst provides contrast in a Normandy-style pairing of apples and cream.

The sidecar takes a wonderful turn toward autumn, with Calvados, Normandy's apple brandy, standing in for regular brandy. Coating the rims of the glasses with sugar tames the drink's lemony potency.

Sparkling cider, rather than sugar, gives our batter its touch of sweetness. The cider also ramps up the apple flavor and adds to the beignets' lovely golden hue.

The praline is also great on its own as a snack; it would be an excellent gift.

Farro is a nutty grain similar to spelt. A whole-grain wheat grown in Italy, it has a firm, chewy texture when cooked. Look for semi-pearled farro, which has some hulls already removed from the grain and therefore cooks faster.

The chicken gets great flavor from a six hour brine, so begin early or a day ahead.

The figs for the sauce need to marinate overnight, so start one day ahead.