French

This is a ridiculously easy soup to make. It's tasty and durable, and it gets even better overnight.

(Kavalierspitz) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from David Bouley, Mario Lohninger, and Melissa Clark's book East of Paris: The New Cuisines of Austria and the Danube. Lohninger also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Lohninger and Austrian cooking, click here.

A panachée is a mixture of two or more ingredients with different colors, flavors, or shapes. For this one, I mix fruits and fruit puree with cookies and cream. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and almost any berries will work. I like to serve these desserts in shallow glass bowls or goblets. Although any cookies will do, I prefer to use Scottish shortbread cookies in this dessert.

Since many commercial brands of puff pastry contain shortening, not butter, it's worth the effort to make this rich, flaky version at home. Don't be intimidated by the preparation; it's really just tiny bits of work divided up over time. This recipe is an accompaniment for Beef and Guinness Pies .

If you use canned truffles and plan to serve these omelets with the mesclun salad with truffle vinaigrette , be sure to save any juice for the dressing.

A good-for-you French stew Low fat, flavorful — this soup will bowl you over. In France, where foie gras rules, this soup stands out: It's low fat and vegetarian. Suzanne Goin, chef and co-owner of Lucques in Los Angeles, first tasted it on a vacation. Years later, she put it on her menu. With salad and a baguette, the bean and veggie stew makes a fiber-rich meal. "Pistou" is its basil-based topping; Italians call it pesto. We call it delicious.

This dish, from Scott Uehlein, executive chef at the renowned Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona, is basically potatoes baked in a blend of broth and onions. It's amazing how rich they taste, and they take only 15 minutes to assemble.

We traded fish for fowl for a fresh approach to the classic niçoise salad, and guess what? It's tastier than ever (and still lowfat).
Think salad means a bland bowl of greens? Not with this recipe, adapted from the revised Taste of Summer cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington (Chronicle Books). The dish is so full of scrumptious finds, you won't miss the lettuce. You can prepare the salad ingredients and dressing in the morning and refrigerate, then combine and serve for dinner.

Comfort food at its healthiest. Serve this colorful one-dish meal over couscous or rice. Garnish with fresh basil.

Lori Hartman of New York City, writes: "I'm looking for a good madeleine recipe similar to the delicious ones (lemony, buttery, and spongy, but crispy on the edges) I used to buy at Bouley Bakery in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood. Can you get the recipe?" The crisp edge on these delightful citrus-scented cookies sets them apart from any other classic madeleines our food editors have tasted. We're never going back.

Using multicolored carrots makes this beautiful side dish even more vibrant.

Silky caramel sauce served with a foamy soufflé makes for an opulent textural contrast. And unlike a warm soufflé that you bake, this chilled version (and the sauce) can be made ahead.

Marsha and John Antonelli of Whittier, California, write: "We recently had lunch at Bistro Jeanty, in Yountville, California, where the ham, leek, and three-cheese quiche was so outstanding we went back twice. Could you persuade the chef to share this excellent recipe?" Extremely creamy and rich, this quiche could be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can make your own crust, but the premade kind will save some time.

What to drink: The same type of wine the chicken is cooked in — a dry Riesling from Alsace.

For an added surprise, place a couple of raspberries or pieces of chopped pear in the center before baking. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, if desired.

Real French Muenster (available at specialty foods stores) will make a big difference in this soufflé. What to drink: A dry white wine with plenty of perfume, like Gewürztraminer.

Use a mandoline to cut the parsnips easily.