Simmer

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Mary garnishes the soup with fried brioche croutons, crème fraîche and fresh chervil.

Homemade malted vanilla-bean ice cream is layered with a bittersweet chocolate sauce and drunken dried cherries.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes chilling) The electric blender (originally a bartender's tool for daiquiris) became a must-have home appliance in the 1950s. Cooks grew enamored of the blender's ability to create velvet-smooth soups — soups previously (and messily) forced through food mills and sieves.

This modification of a classic soup uses less cream than traditional versions.

Horenso No Goma Miso Ae Some miso varieties are quite salty, but the Saikyo shiro miso called for in this sauce has a sweet, caramel-like taste.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

When my mother prepared this gloriously cheesy, spicy dip, the smells from the kitchen would waft throughout the house and drive us all crazy with anticipation. It's a perfect appetizer for guests, so if Mom was making it, that usually meant company for dinner, football Sundays, or a full-blown party (which wouldn't be complete without someone desperately licking the bowl clean).

Bill Borger created this rich dessert and its decadent sauce.

A nice side would be polenta or mashed potatoes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.