European

Dark chocolate never goes out of fashion, but white chocolate was all the rage in the eighties. Foodies couldn't get enough, enjoying it in truffles, tarts and sumptuous ivory-colored mousses like this one.

Salade de Cresson et Endive Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes A simple ragout of shellfish and sausage, so easy to prepare it's almost a heat-and-serve dish. Cook the shallots and garlic, then the sausage, add the wine and rosemary, then the mussels, which will release their juices into the pan, and finish with the parsley and bread crumbs — a rustic, spicy, brothy dish to be eaten with good crusty bread.

(Beef Goulash Soup)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fennel seeds add a flavorful new twist to this vegetarian main course.

We like making our own pickled beets with spices and herbs that give these sandwiches a true Scandinavian flavor. You can, however, use bottled pickled beets if you don't have two days for marinating.

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

Ukrainian Dessert Dumplings These stuffed dessert dumplings with a chewy noodle-dough wrapping are a Ukrainian specialty. The fruit fillings vary widely—ours are stuffed with dried apricots and walnuts, then sprinkled with a cinnamon-crumb topping.

This recipe is based on a technique to marinate shrimp with lemons, learned from Barry Morgenstern, a friend who trained at the famous Cordon Bleu in Paris. The marinade quickly infuses deeply into the hot shrimp, imparting bright flavors deep into each morsel. Once all the ingredients are assembled this is an extremely easy recipe, in which all the work can be done in advance.

This is a very near replica of the small cheese quiches Madame Fromage sells each Saturday at the Louviers market.

Some of the best sauces for grilled, broiled or sautéed steak are based on Sauce Espagnole, which can be made in quantity and keeps well. You can produce a satisfactory Sauce Espagnole by short-cutting the classic, lengthy method. However, if you have the time, the classic method (epi:recipeLink="101872"Classic Sauce Espagnole</epi:recipeLink>)yields a finer and more flavorful result.

In Austria, warming bowls of goulash soup are served in all kinds of establishments — from quick-service restaurants along the Autobahn to Vienna's elegant Hotel Bristol. This hearty beef and vegetable soup can be found in many areas of central and eastern Europe, especially in regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our satisfying rendition has chunks of beef and potato plus red peppers, bacon, onions, and garlic, all fragrant with paprika.

From being a regional dish from Piedmont in Italy, osso buco has caught the imagination worldwide. Thick slices from the veal shank with its central marrow bone are key to osso buco, so that the meat remains moist and becomes tender enough to fall from the bone. When the dish is cooked ahead, the flavor will deepen and mellow. As for the curious gremolata flavoring of garlic, parsley, and lemon, I myself like to add a generous sprinkling to my veal at the table, although purists use only just enough for a delicate nuance. Risotto milanese, flavored with veal stock and saffron is the classic accompaniment. Wine for Cooking Gavi di Gavi (sometimes labeled as cortese di Gavi) is Piedmont's best-known white wine. Gavi is no longer inexpensive, however, and oyu might do just as well with an Italian chardonnay, which is rapidly supplanting cortese as the most widely planted white grape in Piedmont. Wine to Drink When osso buco reaches the table, an authoritative red from Piedmont is in order — a mature barolo or barbaresco, whose bouquet and will match the complexity of this Italian classic.

We like serving these chewy, moist almond cakes, which are based on the financier, a French pastry, in individual gratin dishes, but the batter can also be baked in a 9-inch glass pie plate for 30 to 35 minutes.

(SPAGHETTI ALLA CHIUMMENZANA) This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. To eat this dish the Caprese way, serve the pasta very al dente.