Blue Cheese

You get a quick sauce when you let compound butter melt on a hot steak.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A true demi-glace — the luscious sauce made by reducing homemade stock and red wine to a rich concentration — needs to simmer for several hours, making it the perfect activity for a lazy winter Sunday.

Pour a chilled dry Gewürztraminer to accompany the salad and offer crusty bread throughout dinner.

Vinegar and mustard give the dressing in this salad an assertive flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the beets.

Little polenta "tarts" are filled with tomatoes, pine nuts, and blue cheese, then popped into the oven until the cheese melts.

You can start making these savory cookies up to three days ahead. Even easier: Serve the cheese roll with store-bought crackers. (We especially liked this roulade made with a spiced cranberry-apple chutney, but any thick chutney will work.)

Allen Susser is the man behind Chef Allen's, a favorite special-occasion restaurant near Miami. (He is also a cookbook author, has his own line of sauces, puts out a newsletter and has a Web site—www.chefallen.com.) Calling his food New World Cuisine, Susser uses an international repertoire of cooking techniques to prepare dishes with the best local ingredients. His focus on simple but powerful flavors shows in this dish.

The delicate grapeseed oil in the dressing allows all the delicious flavors to come out. Regular vegetable oil can be substituted.