Wine

The fondue is the centerpiece of a casual dinner with the LaGuardias. They insist that whoever drops the most bread into the pot is stuck with cleanup duty.

A cardamom- and orange-scented syrup is spooned over warm pears and scoops of vanilla ice cream in this lovely dessert. Refrigerate leftover poaching syrup to serve over ice cream later in the week.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here is a light and festive way to introduce a holiday meal. This elegant soup goes very well with Champagne.

At the fish market, ask them to remove the head, tail and bones from the trout, then to cut each trout into two fillets, leaving the skin intact.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Smoked salmon and horseradish cream atop toast points with flutes of sparkling brut rosé make a sophisticated starter for this dinner. The meaty short ribs smothered with a succulent sauce team up perfectly with the Crispy Garlic Risotto Cakes and a simple sauté of red bell peppers and zucchini. Pour a robust Zinfandel to go with it all. Begin preparing this recipe a day ahead. Follow with a warm apple tart and ice cream for dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

The quinces in this stew are not combined with sugar and therefore will not change color. They require only 45 minutes of cooking time to become tender. This flavorful dish is even better when made a day ahead.

Corsica's finest dishes feature fresh seafood. Here's an uncomplicated and delicious example.

A mixture of cottage cheese, lowfat yogurt and lemon juice replaces the sour cream in the traditional version of this dish. Ground turkey makes an especially good choice for those watching their cholesterol intake.

At Mirabelle, chef Reuge serves the paillards, in this case thin slices of strip steak, on a bed of red cabbage braised in red wine and garnishes the dish with fresh herbs.

Have the butcher bone the turkey, providing two boned breasts and two boned leg-thigh pieces. Each should weigh about 1 1/2 pounds. Save the bones for turkey stock.

The White Horse tavern accompanies this with lightly sautéed swiss chard.

On a weekday, accompany this main course with breadsticks and marinated vegetables from the deli. Wrap up with grapes and cookies. For a festive occasion, start with an antipasto of olives and roasted vegetables, then serve an arugula, radicchio and toasted walnut salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. Finish with an Italian fruit crostata.