Almond

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 9 hr

I once heard that the heir to an amaretti factory fortune was kidnapped for ransom. In my imagination I pictured him leaving a trail of amaretti crumbs in the forest to lead the authorities to his rescue. I can't guarantee that this strategy will work if you're kidnapped, but if you leave a trail of crumbs that leads to this crisp, you can be certain a crisp search-and-rescue party will follow.

Sophisticated and simple—even more so with the help of a purchased pie crust.

The tartness of the cranberries is accented by the sweet, crunch meringue filling served at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia.

Early French gardeners developed the espalier method of growing fruit trees-the trees are trained to grow flat against a wall or trellis-so they could take full advantage of the sun and use small plots of land efficiently. October finds markets full of newly harvested crisp apples that add wonderful flavor to this traditional French tart.

(Toasted Almond, Cinnamon and Chocolate Torte)

The classic almond mixture known as frangipane fills an almond crust. Sweet plums and a brandied glaze top it off.

San Francisco is famous for its sourdough, and a wide variety of apples are grown in Sonoma. In this sensational dressing, both ingredients are combined with almonds, which are harvested throughout the state. If you are roasting a turkey in a 350°F oven, cook the stuffing alongside, covered for 45 minutes and uncovered for about 15 minutes.

The egg makes these a little less delicate (and less likely to break) than traditional lace cookies. Arrange them in a decorative box or tin lined with festive tissue paper, then secure the package with a fancy bow.

Offer butter cookies alongside this pretty pink dessert.

The almonds and crisp green beans lend good crunch. For a light lunch, serve this with French bread and a fruit salad.

This recipe calls for both "true" artichokes — known botanically as globe artichokes — and Jerusalem artichokes, which are actually an unrelated root vegetable (sometimes called Sun Chokes). In the soup, the Jerusalem artichokes enhance the flavor of the leafed variety. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. The great thing about these home-style dishes is that they're generous to the cook and to everyone else: You don't have to be a pro to prepare them, there's always plenty to share, and you'll have a delicious meal on the table in no time."

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min