Alcohol

(Cold Avocado Soup)

This recipe makes the Easter favorite new again with a creamy Dijon-white wine sauce. Serve with: Bandol Rosé • haricots verts with sea salt • mashed potatoes with fresh tarragon • pound cake with rhubarb compote

In winter Kay Simon sandwiches this cake with wine jelly, in summer substituting a simple purée of fresh raspberries. Wine for Cooking and to Drink Merlot is important in the Yakima Valley, and perfect for this cake.

Try this rich sauce over pasta or over the <a></a> Parmesan Polenta Squares

For more information about making petits fours, see <epi:recipelink id="">Perfect Petits Fours</epi:recipelink>.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.<P> This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink=101054"Pineapple Rum Trifle Cake</epi:recipeLink>.

Italian risotto, traditionally served as an appetizer, makes a great vegetarian meal when served with a salad. In this recipe, butter and cream have been replaced with a flavorful mushroom broth. Porcini mushrooms and Arborio rice are available at Italian markets, specialty food stores and some supermarkets.

It's hard to believe that a Michelin-starred establishment would serve a dessert that's this simple, but good cooking is about knowing when to leave well enough alone. Steve prefers Irish whiskey for the ice-cream, but you can use Scotch.

You can use good, strong chicken stock for this recipe instead of homemade duck stock — it won't be as rich, but it's better than not cooking the dish at all as it is heavenly!

An accompaniment to <epi:recipelink id="13198">Spiced Venison Steaks</epi:recipelink>

Start this at least one day before serving.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

For convenience, chill these individual eggless custards overnight before serving. The sauce can also be made a day ahead.

Chestnuts are harvested in the area around Alba and figure in many savory and sweet dishes there, particularly stews like this ragout. Gathered after they have fallen, chestnuts are traditionally served with game, but they also pair well with veal-another staple of northern Italian cuisine. If fresh chestnuts are unavailable, roasted vacuum-packed chestnuts-sold in jars in the specialty foods section of many supermarkets-can be used. Supply crusty bread for soaking up the juices. Accompany with a radicchio and escarole salad, and uncork a Barolo.

This Dijon favorite goes well with french fries. Offer a red or white Burgundy.