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Make Ahead

Beef Reduction

The reduction can stand in for some of the beef stock in French onion soup, pot roast, and beef stew, where it will add flavor and richness.

Rum-Scented Marble Cake

Marble cakes are both homey and festive. A marble cake looks slick when you slice into it and reveal the delicate pattern created when the two batters are swirled together. My first experience working with this type of mixture came about as the result of a marbled chocolate terrine that appeared first in the pages of the old Cook's Magazine, and then in my chocolate book. Everything about it was right—the texture, the flavor, the quantity of mixture in relation to the mold—everything, that is, except the marbling. Even when I barely mixed the white and dark chocolate mixtures, what I got was a few streaks of dark and white, and mostly a muddy combined color. After several frustrating attempts, I realized that I had too much dark chocolate mixture and I recast the recipe so there was twice as much white chocolate as dark and the terrine marbled perfectly. So this marble cake is proportioned in the same way: Rather than dividing the base batter in half, I like to remove about one third of it and add the chocolate. Thanks to my old friend Ceri Hadda, who shared her mother's recipe years ago.

Spicy Cauliflower Latkes with Za'atar Aioli

The tiniest latkes on the menu, these are flavored with creamy cauliflower and spicy Aleppo pepper (a Syrian seasoning). Serve them with the aioli or just sprinkle them with za'atar.

Almond and Marmalade Torte With Lattice Crust

Serve this elegant Euro-style treat with a sweet late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Potato-Mushroom Gratin

Luscious and satisfying—a little goes a long way. Make the gratin up to one day ahead. Before serving, cut it into pieces and rewarm in the oven.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Armagnac adds a festive and slightly boozy flavor.

Spinach Porcini Stuffing

Mac and Two Cheeses with Caramelized Shallots

Instead of breadcrumbs, this mac and cheese is topped with rich, pungent caramelized shallots and creamy, crumbled goat cheese.

Summer Corn Soup

When corn season is over, this soup is one of the dishes I miss most. I think you'll like cooking the kernel-less cobs with the milk—it's a great way to get every last bit of flavor from the corn.

Woodland Bundles

Regardless of your foraging skills, you can experience the abundance of the woods with these delectable parcels, which combine the nutty chew of bulgur with rich toasted pine nuts, sweet currants, and smoky trout that could have come from a nearby brook—all neatly wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. And because they're so portable, you can easily enjoy them outdoors on a picnic blanket.

Zucchini "Tagliatelle" with Mint, Cucumber, and Lemon

This pretty salad gets its name from the long slices of zucchini, which resemble tagliatelle pasta. I like to mix in some fresh mint and lemon for a nice zip, cucumber and sweet onion for crunch, and pistachio oil for fabulous depth of flavor.

Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Lemon Pepper Yogurt Sauce

We've added an editor's note about broiling the chicken rather than grilling it. If you use regular skewers without decorations, feel free to skewer the chicken before you place it on the grill.

Warm Blackberry Chutney

<p>Who knew that making your own fruit spread could be so easy and so delicious? I promise this recipe will not disappoint. And it's a perfect complement to the <epi:recipeLink ="350666">Perfect Crostini</epi:recipeLink.</p>

Roast Pumpkin with Cheese "Fondue"

As the pumpkin roasts, its skin becomes gorgeously burnished, while inside, slices of baguette, Gruyère, and Emmental coalesce into a rich, velvety concoction that is utterly fabulous served with a scoop of tender pumpkin flesh.

Beet Apple Soup

Trim the tops and tails of the beets to 1 inch.

Sage Stuffing

You can’t go wrong with a traditional bread stuffing, especially when it’s enlivened with fresh sage and celery leaves. Broad chunks of baguette, golden and crisp on top, soak up turkey stock and buttery juices from the sautéed onions and celery.

Bourbon Molasses Sauce

When serving the spiced-pumpkin soufflés, don’t forget this warm accompaniment. It’s simply magical.

Adobo Turkey with Red-Chile Gravy

This is no ordinary turkey. Food editor Lillian Chou blended toasted guajillo and ancho chiles with a range of spices and aromatics to create a brick-red adobo sauce that seasons both the bird and its gravy. After a long marinate, the adobo permeates the bird's juicy meat during roasting. The resulting turkey features a savory complexity heightened by the accompanying red-chile gravy.

Chestnut, Leek, and Apple Stuffing

Anyone who swears by wet stuffing is likely to sidle over to the dry camp after a taste of this Thanksgiving classic. Beneath a crunchy crust is an amalgam of yielding bread, meaty chestnuts, and softened celery, apple, and leeks.

Poblano Potato Gratin

In Mexican cuisine, rajas refers to thin strips of roasted chiles. Although they commonly spice up everything from stews to tamales, rajas are best when adding a kick to creamy dishes. Here, forest-green poblanos lend a mild, almost fruity heat to a potato gratin.
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