European

Brandy, apples and cream add a taste of France's Normandy region to this entrée.

You can top the spinach parmesean custard with some broken-up frico for added crunch or simply enjoy them on the side. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

"We lived in New York for several months, long enough to learn to love the creamy polenta at Union Square Cafe," says Ross and Karen Martin of Pasadena, California. "If you can't get their recipe, we might need to fly across the country to have the dish again." This polenta gets its richness from being cooked in a milk-cream mixture instead of the usual water or broth.

Here's a rich, creamy classic with a tropical twist. Begin preparing it a day ahead.

This cookie launched a thousand memories—and a literary masterpiece—for Marcel Proust. The group enjoys madeleines with tea, just as the narrator did in Swann's Way.

Braised Broccoli This dish is to Christmas Eve dinner in Amalfi what apple pie is to July Fourth in middle America: an absolute necessity. The Amalfitani choose a leafy, lighter colored broccoli from Campania for this dish; the closest substitute in this country is broccoli rabe; choose a bunch with as many leaves as possible.

The halibut is delicious with sautéed green beans and steamed new potatoes. End with espresso granita or ice cream with grappa.

Beurre blanc — "white butter" — is the classic French sauce made with a reduction of vinegar, white wine and shallots. Beurre rouge is a colorful sibling, made here with a combination of red wine vinegar and red wine, which give the sauce a nice tang.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

A gratin is the golden, epicurean crust that forms on the surface of savory baked or broiled dishes. Pungent Gruyère makes a genial topping that acts as a protective layer, preventing the potatoes from drying out.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

"I was married last spring, and my husband and I spent our honeymoon in Del Mar, California, at L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa," writes Leah Morgan of Shoreline, Washington. "While we were there, we enjoyed the cinnamon-raisin French toast. I would love to surprise my husband by re-creating this special breakfast at home." You’ll need to buy unsliced bread from a bakery to make this super-thick French toast.

These clams in garlicky broth were named after Bulhão Pato, a 19th-century Portuguese poet. Although his verses have been largely forgotten, the dish remains popular throughout Lisbon. Serve it as the first course of an elegant meal or as the main course of a light lunch.

"I never had a cookbook until I moved here in my twenties to do some graduate work at the University of Oregon," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "I fell head over heels for this guy (now my husband), and he gave me Pellaprat's Modern French Culinary Art for Christmas. Still, many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris. She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast." Called gougères in French, these cocktail snacks are irresistible.

Côtelettes de Saumon Frais Dorigny Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

For a meatless pizza, skip the prosciutto and add sautéed sliced portobello mushrooms.

Generally this dish is served in Andalusia as part of a mixed fish fry, but it's wonderful on its own. The marinade makes the fish flavorful and succulent.

These nut meringues are also called erstesternen ("first stars"), a reference to the heavenly signs indicating the end of a fast day. They are traditionally served by German Jews at the meal following Yom Kippur.