French

The bouquet garni for this stew includes orange peel (use a vegetable peeler to make wide strips) and some of the wispy fronds from the top of the fennel bulb that goes into the soup.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr

(CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH NUTS AND RAISINS) Here is a chocolate cake that will delight your palate. Use the best bittersweet chocolate you can find!

Francoise preferred not to share her specific recipe with me, but she gave me enough hints so that I could make this version of roestis, (which means twice cooked in the Jura dialect) which closely resembles the delicious dish I had at La Grangette. Try this with thick slices of gently smoked ham and a white Arbois, from the Jura, or another buttery white wine.

This colorful dish plays with the Basque sauté of red and green bell peppers. The Sherry wine vinegar gives the salad a delicious sweet-tangy edge.

This duck recipe is unusually light and delicate.

This salad was inspired by a classic Salade Niçoise with its fresh anchovies, potatoes and green beans, and one offered to me by Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, who comes to France every year to avail herself of, among other things, the fine green beans of summer.

For a nice touch, fold fresh raspberries into the mousse and garnish it with additional berries.

This luscious cake has two chocolate mousse fillings and a rich dark-chocolate topping.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer this as a side dish with grilled lamb or as a light supper for two with a salad.

Parisians love chocolate, and cooks in Paris might make this with Valrhona, one of the best French brands. Begin preparing the dessert a day ahead.

A southern soufflé that is a delicious addition to the Thanksgiving meal. It's much lighter than corn bread, yet with just as much rich, buttery flavor.

Pommes de Terre Chateaubriand Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min