Make Ahead

This pie was almost my obsession. I desperately wanted a banana cream pie that wasn't too sweet, and I couldn't find one with the right consistency or the right banana flavor. I think this is pretty close to perfect, and the flavors marry well with the Elvis-inspired peanut butter layer.

As befitting a diner dessert, this ice cream is thick and rich and perfectly accents the apple tartlet. Cinnamon ice cream generally falls into three categories: infused via cinnamon sticks during the milk warming; ground cinnamon added during the milk warming; and ground cinnamon added at the very end. You can't get a real cinnamony flavor from the sticks alone, and adding ground cinnamon too early makes for a very strange texture. The third option lends a nice flavor and texture and leaves the custard pleasantly speckled.

This recipe comes from Katrina and Carmelo Turillo, owners of La Divina Gelateria in New Orleans.

This tartlet is complex, but well worth the effort. It sprang from the mind of our bakery's apple-obsessed chef, Eric Wolitzky (he is from the apple heartland of upstate New York), who was attempting to wring more flavor from the traditional apple pie. We’re still huge fans of the classic, but this version—with its perfect ratio of caramel to apple to buttery crust and crunchy topping—is now our must have apple dessert. At the bakery, we put the tartlets out at noon, and they are gone by 12:30 p.m., so we feel fairly confident that people share our new obsession.

The attraction of mile-high desserts is undeniable. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't always pay off. Sometimes there is an imbalance in the layering (too much filling, too much frosting), so we tried to balance this version flavorwise while still making it look delicious. The base is a chocolate cake we use regularly at the bakery; we filled it with a not-too-sweet buttercream. A cake this tall covered in white frosting would be too sweet, so instead we added a chocolate glaze that drips down the sides.

This recipe wasn't created, per se; it was a happy accident. One of our new (though lovely) bakers was working on a tray of brownies and pulled them out too early from the oven. They were too underdone for sale, so we cut some out, pressed them into the bottom of a springform pan, and used them as the base of our cheesecake. It has been on our menu ever since.

Use one crust to make the pizza here. Chill the extra dough for up to four days or freeze for up to a month.

Use a mild (sweet) curry powder.

Serve over basmati rice.

Halloumi is a firm, mild Cypriot cheese. When grilled, it gets crisp outside, melty inside. Look for the cheese at supermarkets, specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and igourmet.com.

This batter is very adaptable: If you want savory crêpes, simply omit the sugar. For flavored crêpes, replace the vanilla with a flavored extract such as almond, a liquor like rum or brandy, or a flavored liquor such as Kirsch or Amaretto. Crêpes freeze well—you can make a big batch and stack them, separated by sheets of waxed paper, in a tightly sealed container or plastic bag. Stored this way, they'll keep for several months. Allow them to defrost at room temperature, then reheat as described in the do-ahead instructions below. These crêpes can be served with any number of different fillings. One traditional French option is a hearty squeeze of fresh lemon juice and light dusting of sugar. Sliced fresh bananas and a drizzle of Nutella are also popular.

Making moussaka is something of an undertaking—a rich meat sauce (made here with lamb, but you can substitute other ground meats such as turkey, veal, or even pork, if you prefer), layered with tender eggplant and a cheese sauce. You can make the moussaka in two smaller casserole dishes to serve one now and freeze one to bake later.

In the past few years, bakers have been upping the ante with chocolate desserts (think of your local American bistro's "warm chocolate cakes with gooey chocolate centers").

I come from a Hungarian-Czech background, which means I grew up on lots of things with poppy seeds, like poppy seed cakes and poppy seed rolls. I still look forward to visiting my parents in New Jersey during the holidays and getting my annual fix. These portable bars combine my love of lemon desserts, specifically lemon meringue pie, with my culinary heritage. You can make them ahead of time, chill them, and then cut them up at the picnic. They hold together very well and are fun to eat.

This recipe, from my old sous chef Mitch SuDock, makes the best fried chicken ever. We used to make brined pork at JUdson Grill, and he started using the brine to make fried chicken for our nightly staff meal. The benefit of brine is that the batter keeps the seasoning from penetrating the meat, but the brine works its way in. Keep a close eye on the thermometer when frying; try to maintain a temperature of 300°F, which will cook the chicken through without burning the exterior.

This recipe is a tribute to the chickpea salad they sell at the prepared-foods counter at Zabar's market in New York City, which my wife, Beverly, and I have always enjoyed. The key to this recipe is letting the beans soak after they've cooked. Rather than seasoning the beans while they're cooking, which keeps them from softening, you season them after they've cooked and then give them time to absorb the salt and garlic. Ideally, this recipe should be made a day or so ahead of time to let the flavors develop even further. Alot of people use parsley as a "default herb" to garnish a dish without really thinking about whether another herb might work better. But the flavor of parsley here truly matters; it completes the balance of the salad.

The fact that Algeria shares culinary traditions with Spain, Italy, and France is evident in many of its dishes, like this skabetch (which is quite similar in spirit to Spanish escabeche). The shrimp is pickled in a gently tangy spice mixture for a subtle play of flavors. Charmoula refers to the North African combination of ingredients in the marinade—though every country, town, and even family that makes charmoula creates its own special blend.