Epicurious

The mashed sweet potatoes with sage butter are a great side dish for calf's liver. We recommend asking the butcher for the freshest calf's liver available, since it can vary in quality. Soaking the liver in milk, a method typically used for pork liver, helps soften and mellow its flavor.

I often make a thick crème anglaise to serve with this compote, though it is delightful all on its own.

If the crowd is larger than eight, make two frittatas and keep one warm. Served in wedges, frittatas are delicious hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Named for the four fruits that go into this recipe, the drink is a refreshing accompaniment to brunch at Sarabeth's restaurant in New York.

I made these cookies for my son's class at school as part of France's annual week of taste, or semaine du gout. The idea was to show how sweet and salty flavors complement each other.

An easy sparkling wine cocktail, made with a touch of black currant liqueur.

Jean-Yves Jaulin's Mojhettes au Jambon

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

With apologies to mom, I've adapted this recipe just slightly.

Ham and Thousand Island Dressing

Don't let the unappetizing-sounding name fool you: I'm talking about mold as in "shape" here. I'm from New Orleans, which means I grew up with a lot of socializing, most of it centered around food. There, both the front door and the refrigerator door are always open for friends or family who drop in. My mother always seems to have a steady stream of visitors, whether it's a neighbor who's stopped by for tea, one of her many siblings who happen by at dinnertime, or me with a whole troop of friends in for Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest. True New Orleanian that she is, she always has something good to eat. This seafood mold is a common dish at parties all around the city, and as improvisation is the hallmark of New Orleans cooking, each chef has her own version. I haven't gotten to the stage where I've made my own mark on this recipe yet, so I just copy Mom's. This mold needs to be made at least a few hours in advance in order to give it time to set, but it's a delicious centerpiece to any hors d'oeuvres table. You can serve it with crackers, with thinly sliced, toasted French bread, or with vegetables. Sometimes Mom even serves this in boiled-egg halves, as a New Orleans–style variation on deviled eggs. Be creative!