Potato

Finnan Haddie Gratin Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

María de los Angeles Rodr‭guez Artacho, co-owner with her husband of Bar Jordi, was kind enough to share her recipe.

Creamy potatoes are baked in a casserole.

This rich, creamy version of twice-baked potatoes can be assembled and refrigerated one day before the final baking.

This Swedish stew called Sjömansbiffgryta is one of the most typical family stews, which every Swede knows. This is one of those "lots of bang for the buck" types of stews. It's so simple, yet the taste it delivers is so satisfying. It is best to cook it in an enameled cast-iron casserole because it goes into a very hot oven for quite a while, and all the liquid gets absorbed and the casserole becomes a little crusty. I know it seems like an awfully long time to keep a stew in such a hot oven, but trust me, it works. You can deglaze the casserole with a bit of water if you like and pour it over the stew, which should be transferred to a serving bowl.

"I have a 'stragglers Thanksgiving' — that's what I call it — at my house every year," writes Frances Teasley of North Hollywood, California. "I know a lot of people who, like me, don't have any family nearby. Thirteen years ago I started inviting a few people for dinner. And that small holiday gathering has become a big tradition among my friends. For weekday meals, I look for shortcuts and do-aheads. But for holiday meals, I like to do everything the same day because I love the smell of cooking that fills the house."

Hollowed-out orange halves are filled with mashed yams and topped with marshmallow creme and pecans.

You can form the sweet-potato pancakes up to six hours ahead, leaving only a quick frying before serving.

This recipe calls for a standard glass baking dish, but any oven-to-table dish can be used.

If you're making these potatoes to serve with the roast goose , the optimal time to begin boiling them is immediately after the oven temperature is reduced on the roasting bird. As soon as the goose is removed from the oven, increase the oven temperature and roast the potatoes while making the sauce for the goose. If you're not roasting a goose but would like to make the potatoes anyway, you can use store-bought duck fat instead of goose fat.

Fluffy potatoes and fruity olive oil are a perfect match; the better the oil, the better the flavor.

Fresh fennel bulbs and crushed fennel seeds add subtle anise flavor. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seeds, or simply place them in a plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin. The soup can be made a day ahead and rewarmed before serving.

Fricot à la Poule This dish is a variation of a stew served at Étoile de Mer, a traditional Acadian restaurant in Mont-Carmel. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

This fragrant mélange mixes starchy tastes with sweet. The dish is like a stir-fry, only it's done in the oven—a great, no-fuss way to cook a slew of vegetables.

When adding the flour, it's important to do so delicately. It must be cooked to remove any raw taste. This thickens the soup nicely.