French

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 9 hr

Consommé avec Petites Profiteroles Active time: 2 1/4 hr Start to finish: 20 hr (includes making stock)

A chocolaty version of a rich French gâteau called, aptly, a financier, this cake shows how ground nuts, melted chocolate, butter, and beaten egg whites can result in a deceptively light texture. An elegant dessert, it needs nothing more than a dusting of confectioners' sugar to finish it off.

Sophisticated and simple—even more so with the help of a purchased pie crust.

(Gruyère Cheese Puffs)

(LES SCOURTINS AUX OLIVES DE NYONS) Jean-Pierre Autrand of Les Vieux Moulins in Nyons, Provence, shared the family recipe for these crisp, salty-sweet cookies.

(GATEAU DE BEAUMES-DE-VENISE AUX RAISINS) Named after a town in the Vaucluse and the sweet, fortified wine produced there.

This easy-to-make dish combines the sweetness of tomatoes with the briny essence of capers.

Begin by offering crisp breadsticks with roasted red peppers, black olives and marinated artichoke hearts on a bed of arugula. Follow the stew with apple pie.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 12 hr (includes soaking beans)

Be sure to serve the aromatic sauce with each portion of soufflé. The sauce can be prepared one day before the soufflé is made.

Buckwheat — which grows well in cold climates — has a solid place in French-Canadian cuisine. Buckwheat crêpes can be traced back to Brittany, and buckwheat pancakes are a regular part of a Canadian breakfast. These "noodles," made from savory crêpes, are a contemporary twist on this classic dish.

(Gâteau de Pommes Grand-Mère) Sautéing the apples in butter (along with a splash of Calvados) before adding them to the batter lends an extra dimension of richness to this very simple apple cake. Enjoy a wedge with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a welcome afternoon snack with tea.