French

NORMANDY In Normandy, this richly flavored stew would be served with a composed salad of watercress, shallots, and roasted beets. What to drink: Muscadet, Chablis, or unoaked Chardonnay.

We adapted this recipe from one in D'artagnan's Glorious Game Cookbook, by Ariane Daguin, George Faison, and Joanna Pruess. In her cookbook, Daguin sticks to the traditional French method and cooks foie gras to 120°F, although the USDA recommends cooking foie gras to an internal temperature of 160°F to be sure any harmful bacteria are killed. We tried both methods and prefer Daguin's; to our tastes, it yielded the perfect degree of doneness. However, we've included both options in the procedure. Whole foie gras can vary in size (goose liver tends to be larger than duck). If your foie gras differs from the recipe by more than half a pound, increase or decrease the size of the terrine, the weight (see "special equipment," below), and the seasonings accordingly. If you don't have an oval terrine, you could use a ceramic soufflé dish or a glass loaf pan that's just large enough for the foie gras to fit in snugly. Note that a foie gras terrine is supposed to have a layer of fat—it may look a bit odd, but it's actually quite delicious.

No special pan is needed to make this outstanding free-form tart. The pear filling is complemented by buttery pastry and a nice streusel topping.

(Warm Potato Goat-Cheese Salads with Thyme and Niçoise Olives)

The mincemeat adds great flavor and texture to an ever-popular dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(PATE SUCREE) Makes plenty of dough for the Walnut Tartlets , Apple Galette or Apricot Tart .

These can be made one day ahead, then drizzled with the vinaigrette just before serving.

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

You can make this potato cake right before grilling steaks, then reheat it on a baking sheet in the 450°F oven while the steaks rest.

A traditional French assiette crudités (raw vegetable salad) just like those served all over Paris.

If one large fish is difficult to find, two smaller ones can be substituted.