Make Ahead

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

While this recipe isn't terribly difficult, it is labor-intensive. We recommend you break it up into a couple of steps: Make the filling, then enlist a friend or two to help you do the rolling the following day.

Variations of this seasoning are found all over the Middle East. It's used to flavor eggs and is also served with pita—dunk warm flatbread in good olive oil and then the spice dip. The kind sold dried (with dried thyme) in Middle Eastern stores just doesn't compare to za'atar made fresh.

One of the most memorable meals of my vacation in Provence was at the one-star Auberge la Fenière," says Jacqueline Ross of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Set in the Lubron hills outside the town of Lourmarin, it's a remarkable place owned by one of France's celebrated female chefs, Reine Sammut. I'd love to re-create my first course there, a chilled tomato puree with roasted eggplant."

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr

The frozen berry sabayon is smooth and creamy, like ice cream.

These crumbs are used in both the <epirecipelink id="106249">clams oreganata</epirecipelink> and the <epirecipelink id="106281">stuffed baby bell peppers</epirecipelink>. Leftover crumbs are delicious sprinkled over pesto pasta .

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="107772">Candied Kumquat and Ricotta Tart</epi:recipelink> . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101035"Masa Pancakes Topped with Poached Eggs and Chipotle Ranchera Salsa</epi:recipeLink>.

My Grammie Ethel was best known for her cookies and fudge. But she also made a mean chopped liver. What was remarkable about Grammie Ethel's chopped liver was how mild, light and fluffy it was—it didn't taste too much like liver. (This is important when you're eight years old and a finicky eater.) Her secret was the high proportion of hard-boiled egg whites to liver. And the hand-cranked metal meat grinder my grandmother used her whole life to grind the ingredients into a chunky purée. Low-fat chopped liver might seem like an oxymoron. After all, liver is one of the fattiest and most cholesterol-laden substances known to man. By replacing most of the liver with mushrooms (keeping just enough liver for flavor) and by roasting the ingredients in a hot oven instead of sautéeing them, we create a chopped liver that explodes with flavor and is mercifully light on fat. I'm sure my grandmother would have approved. Note: To be in strict accordance with the kashrut, you would boil, not roast, the chicken liver. (This is considered a more effective way to remove the blood.) Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

The grill adds a sophisticated smoky quality to this dish, but you can make it from beginning to end using only the oven.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Master Stock Chicken .

Flavored vinegars can be used to enliven dressings and marinades, finish pan sauces, or pickle vegetables--and they make wonderful gifts. Once the steeping is completed, these vinegars keep for several months. (Garnishes and other solids left in the jar, however, may discolor or break down.)

This lovely dessert combines the flavors of cherries jubilee in an easier rendition of the classic recipe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.