Simmer

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Soufflés with Creamy Caramel Sauce .

The people of Tuscany are known in Italy as mangiafagioli, or bean eaters, and when I was in Florence as an art history student and then in Lucca as a teacher I learned the reason why. All the trattorie served fagioli all'uccelletto for only a few lire. I was fortunate to find an Italian friend in Arkansas who had a recipe.

An Armenian dish that's the perfect accompaniment to roast turkey, goose or ham. This version is dressed up for the holidays with golden saffron and studded with dried fruit and nuts.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Parmesan cheese and tarragon add to the distinctive flavor of this comforting main course. Accompany the hash with biscuits, and conclude the evening with fresh fruit and a platter of brownies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

It's easier to make buttercream with a standing electric mixer, but it can be done with a handheld one.

A fine version of a hearty classic.

Umeboshi, or pickled plums, are not technically plums at all, but apricots. They are mixed with rice to make a popular summer dish in Japan. We've enlivened this salad with pickled ginger and sugar snap peas.

Also great layered with some sweetened mixed berries or other fruit and presented in parfait glasses.

Western ingredients are particularly well suited to the Thanksgiving feast, as evidenced by this robust, satisfying gravy. It comes from Montana-based Greg Patent, the author of New Cooking from the Old West (Ten Speed Press, 1996), and it has an appealing home-on-the-range quality, thanks to plenty of fresh sage and the smoky taste of bacon. It's rich, delicious and perfect for smothering turkey and potatoes. Follow these directions to make a foolproof gravy no matter what recipe you use for roasting the turkey. Since the broth and giblets can be prepared one day ahead, the last-minute steps are kept to a minimum.

This is the soup everyone enjoyed in Louviers for Carnaval. Quick to make, deliciously satisfying and alluring, you will find it hits the spot on a cool late winter to spring evening.