French

In this recipe we call for a 3- by 1 1/2-inch stainless-steel pastry ring. It is available at some specialty cookware shops.

Choucroute — the pickled cabbage that is a cornerstone of Alsatian cuisine — is similar to sauerkraut. One key difference is that choucroute is always cooked in wine. Here, sauerkraut is combined with smoked ham hocks, sausages and potatoes.

A lightened version of a first course that traditionally precedes choucroute garnie.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes.

French for "crunch in mouth," a classic croquembouche is made with custard-filled cream puffs coated with caramel and stacked in a tall pyramid shape. Here, these chocolate-cream-filled puff pyramids are scaled down to individual servings and drizzled with a chocolate glaze.

Adrienne Herman of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, writes: "I recently enjoyed a terrific meal at the Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. The highlight was the crème brûlée, which I would love to re-create at home."

This recipe hails from France.

These buttery cinnamon cookies are David's all-time favorite. Make them and you'll see why.

Chef Ludovic leFebvre writes: "I'm looking forward to the opening of my restaurant, Ludo, this fall. It's going to be different from the elaborate French cuisine I've done in the past: People are interested in lighter and healthier foods now, and I want my cooking to reflect that. For me, that means using the best ingredients in simple ways. "Before coming to America, I apprenticed with some of France's best chefs, like Marc Meneau and Alain Passard. I was lucky to have such great teachers, but after two years of working 17-hour days, it was time for a change. Moving to Los Angeles definitely altered my work habits. My days in the kitchen are shorter, and there's more opportunity to enjoy cooking at home. " Ideal for a party, these soft-center soufflé cakes can be prepared the night before, then baked in less than ten minutes.

A handsomely arranged combination salad can be the solution for what to serve at an informal spur-of-the-moment meal. The trick is to toss all of the elements separately in vinaigrette, letting some marinate for 10 to 20 minutes if they need to take on flavor. Then when you arrange your work of art, each part of it is perfectly seasoned. Here is a hearty meatless combination.

Donovan Clark of London, England, writes: "I met chef Jean-Yves Bath a couple years ago while I was dining at his elegant Michelin one-star restaurant, Bath's, in Paris. He had renovated an old Chinese eatery near the Champs-Élysées, and it was the perfect setting to showcase the food of his native Auvergne region. The simple cheese ravioli dish I had that night was unforgettable." For a vegetarian version of this recipe, mushroom or vegetable broth could be used in place of the beef broth.

A few years ago, the editors of Bon Appétit magazine declared braised short ribs the recipe of the year, and they asked me to create the ultimate version. Combining elements from different short rib dishes I had enjoyed at restaurants, this is the result. I have since received an amazing amount of mail from cooks who have told me that this is the most awesome meat dish they have ever encountered.

Mimosa in Los Angeles uses coconut milk in this version of a Breton classic.

(Suprêmes de Canette à la Coriandre, Endive Braisée, Sauce Aigre-Douce à l'Orange) See how to grate citrus.

"I have been enjoying Aperto restaurant here in San Francisco ever since it opened eight years ago," writes Leslie Appleton, of San Francisco, California. "Everything prepared in that little kitchen is delicious and attractively presented. If you could obtain the recipe for the soft-centered chocolate soufflés served there, you would make me very happy." These can be prepared ahead.

Serve these mussels with a frisée salad dressed with red wine vinaigrette. Add french fries, plus a baguette for sopping up the sauce. Lemon tart would be good for dessert. See how to clean mussels.