Gruyère

In this classic French dish, a veal roast is sliced and layered with a combination of soubise (onion) and duxelles (mushroom) stuffings, then put back together in the shape of the roast. Traditionally, it's covered with more stuffing and heavily coated with a Mornay sauce (which glazes the roast as it's heated in the oven). In our updated version, we keep the soubise and duxelles separate and arrange them side by side — black contrasting with white — on each veal slice, so the stuffings are visible. We use only a very thin coating of Mornay to glaze the dish, and serve the rest on the side.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Offer these as a starter or as a light lunch with a salad of greens tossed in vinaigrette.

The following chunky potato soup was inspired by a smooth version that one of our food editors enjoyed at The Bernerhof Inn in Glen, New Hampshire.

A mix of butternut and acorn squash makes this soup silky and flavorful. Keep it bubbling on the stove to warm up any roaming ghosts and goblins as they return home from their Halloween rounds.

Cèpe is the French name (porcini is the Italian name) for the boletus mushroom, which grows in the southwest. Dried cèpes are not readily available here, so we use dried porcini.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A rich and elegant special-occasion dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer with crusty French bread and you have a satisfying summer supper. The creamy dressing is lower-fat version, using half yogurt and half mayonnaise.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

For a more elegant presentation, we cut out rounds from the gratin with a 4-inch cookie cutter. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr