Root Vegetable

I particularly like this sweet potato casserole because it isn't candy-sweet—no marshmallows, no canned crushed pineapple, no honey, and not very much sugar. I don't boil the sweet potatoes before I mash them; I bake them so they're less watery and have better flavor. Here's how: Pierce each sweet potato with a sharp-pronged kitchen fork, set on a baking sheet, then bake on the middle oven shelf for about 1 hour at 400° F. or until you can pierce a potato easily with a fork. Cool the potatoes to room temperature, peel, then mash until light and fluffy.

Chef Christian Constant's unforgettable potatoes stuffed with pigs' trotters at Les Cocottes, in Paris, inspired this homey but adventurous take on an American favorite: the stuffed baked potato. We used breakfast sausage and a savory glaze that does double duty as a salad dressing.

This rustic, one-dish meal incorporates ingredients that southwestern France is known for: prunes, Armagnac, leeks, potatoes, and mushrooms. The ragout's combination of sweet, salty, and earthy acts as a complex backdrop for the duck.

This fricassee couldn't be more French, but its velvety sauce carries the flavor of vadouvan, a South Indian spice blend that has started to crop up on Parisian menus. We find it irresistible.

There are many versions of vadouvan, a French interpretation the Indian spice blend, but we like the one that Grimes came up with, starting with a formula by chef Inaki Aizpitarte, of Le Chateaubriand, and roasting it for a deep, meaty flavor.

After a rich main course, you'll love the clean flavors of this minimally dressed salad. Watercress and fris´e are tamed by slivers of celery root and green apple, which also makes for a seamless segue into the next course—Camembert with apple butter from a local market.

Though poaching pears in wine often results in a subtle, sophisticated dessert, it rarely looks as lovely as it tastes. Here, Grimes took inspiration from the saturated-red glassware that's ubiquitous in Parisian flea markets and from a dessert at Le Chateaubriand, which uses beet to give the pears a lush garnet hue. As far as its flavor goes, the beet doesn't lend anything more than a nice balance to the overall dish, but you'll probably want to poach pears this way from now on.

In this unusual side dish from Spring restaurant, often under appreciated parsley gets the creamed-spinach treatment—and a little help from aromatic orange zest, mint, and fresh ginger.

Bright apple flavor, plus a surprising tanginess. This sweet puree is a nice change of pace from the usual mashed potatoes.

Lime juice gives these simply lovely carrots bright flavor.

Fresh fennel, rosemary, and crème fraîche give mashed potatoes added appeal.

This dish has an ideal combination of flavors and textures: soft and crunchy; sweet and nutty.

The richness of the sausage is a great match for bright, fresh fennel and sweet squash.

Two kinds of potatoes are thinly sliced and combined with cream, butter, cheese, and a mixture of herbs.

Crisp beans are paired with sour onions and a sweet maple dressing.

Use a mix of the best wild mushrooms available. They elevate the stuffing from simple to sensational.

Thanksgiving goes Provençal with this elegant dish.

In this redesigned French bistro classic, softened red onions join salty Manchego, and star anise gives the peppery broth a subtle undercurrent of sweetness.