Simmer

(Cream of Carrot Soup with Ginger) Hot carrot soup in your belly at night feels good and soothing... Sweet dreams!

This recipe works best with ordinary chili powder, which typically includes not only ground dried chiles but other spices as well. Pure chile powder will be too strong.

Romanesco cauliflower — with its cone-shaped florets — has a more subtle, nuanced flavor than traditional varieties. The size of Romanesco cauliflower can vary widely, so we call for weight in this recipe rather than number of heads.

This is the pot-au-feu from my neighbor the florist. You will find yourself making this a permanent part of your repertoire.

This soup stands on its own as a main course when paired with a green salad and some crusty bread.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Meringue Napoleons with Lime Ice Cream and Blackberries .

Using the fresh-tasting canned diced tomatoes eliminates the chopping step. Serve with: Arugula and radicchio salad.

Puréeing the corn with low-fat milk gives the soup a creamy texture. Serve it as a starter or as a light main course with a green salad and crusty bread.

A hearty soup that's a snap to prepare.

Rich, flavorful and perfect for the Thanksgiving table. This side dish is great for the cook, too, as it can be made one day ahead.

A great dish from Dalvay By The Sea.

This ice cream explodes with twice the vanilla flavor of store-bought varieties.

Pozole Blanco con Salsa de Chile de Árbol This dish is similar to the original white pozole that was created in the 18th century. Some regions now specialize in red and green versions. If you don't have a Mexican market nearby, you may have to order the pigs' feet and pork neck bones from your butcher up to one week before you plan to make this (ask the butcher to split the pigs' feet). If substituting pork neck bones for pigs' feet, you'll need a total of 4 1/2 pounds of neck bones for the soup.

To clean leeks, trim off 3 inches of the green and then slice them in half lengthwise. Run under cold water to remove sand, then continue with the recipe.

Here's an updated coq au vin that's from Fringale in San Francisco.

When preparing beets, trim off all but 1 inch of the roots and the stems. Cooking time may vary, depending on the size of the beet.

Salsa di Pomodoro d'Emilia Emilia would add a sprig of basil or rosemary or a glass of red wine along with the tomatoes, according to her mood. The sauce always turned out a bit differently, yet it was always delicious.