Tarragon

This simple but sophisticated preparation is the star of the Thanksgiving table. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

In the book American Gourmet, Jane and Michael Stern describe beef Wellington as a "lardaceous dish" that is "rich beyond reason." The pastry-wrapped beef was the ultimate in dinner-party fare in the sixties. In our re-creation, salmon fillets cook in frozen puff pastry sheets, which arrived in the seventies.

This recipe was given to me by one of my favorite farmers at my local market in Louviers, Normandy.

For a pretty decorative touch, snip a V at one end of each snow pea.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

I find that littlenecks or tiny cockles are the best shellfish for this dish, because they are delicate. Tarragon complements them, as does parsley or dill.

Here's a quick and elegant entrée for spring.

Canapés came into fashion in the cocktail-party era that began in the 1920s. Bottled mayonnaise (which was first produced by Richard Hellmann in 1912 at his New York deli) and canned crabmeat help to make this canapé a model of fast food.

This is a rich, filling way of serving mussels. Make sure to have a lot of good bread to sop up all the juices.

A flurry of fresh tarragon makes this speedy weeknight dish of seared cod and luscious, sun-colored pan sauce feel restaurant worthy.

A combination of creamy sauce and tender cider-braised chicken makes this a comforting dish equally ideal for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal.

A creamy tahini sauce (made with lemon juice and tangy dijon mustard) solves the problem of creating a rich and well-dressed chicken salad without the mayo.

Tenderizing yogurt makes the perfect marinade for grilled bone-in chicken thighs, which get even more flavor from chile-infused honey.

The humble leek gets dressed up with a bright tarragon vinaigrette, a boiled egg, and toasted hazelnuts.

Fresh herbs, loads of noodles, and a glorious amount of brown butter make this mushroom-packed rice pilaf main course-worthy.

Looking for the ultimate booze-free cooler? Try Bryant Terry’s refreshing grape-tarragon spritzer, which cleverly keeps its cool with frozen grapes instead of ice cubes.