Gourmet

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The use of leavening in a cake is first recorded in a recipe for gingerbread from Amelia Simmons's American Cookery, published in Hartford in 1796; I guess you could say it is the original great American cake. Early-19th-century cookbooks included as many recipes for this as contemporary cookbooks do for chocolate cake. This recipe, from Claudia Fleming, pastry chef at New York City's Gramercy Tavern, is superlative—wonderfully moist and spicy.

Also known as jook, congee turns up in Chinese households morning, noon, and night. This thick rendition is made heartier with the addition of chicken.

A seasoning mix that originated in Jamaica, jerk is popular throughout the Caribbean in the preparation of meats such as pork and chicken for grilling. Jerk seasoning typically includes chilies, onion, allspice, and thyme. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This variation on basic polenta incorporates fresh corn just off the cob.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pairing chick-peas and Swiss chard is nothing new—Armenians have been doing it for generations. But with great tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon, this quick vegetable stew is as fresh as summer. If you can’t find Swiss chard, spinach is an authentic substitute.

'80S THE COSBY SHOW In the well-appointed Huxtable kitchen ("The Drum Major" first aired on February 4, 1988), Cliff explains to his family why it's essential to wait three days before eating his famous chili: "If you tasted this on the first day, you'd say, 'What can did this come out of?' If you tasted this on the second day, you'd say, 'Oh my goodness, somebody's grandmother got up off her chair and just took this to the mountain!' But on the third day you don't even have to taste it. You just walk by the pot and something says, 'Hey, come here!'" Although this chili can be eaten the same day it's made, it really does taste better if you wait another day or two. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 6 1/2 hr (plus 1 to 2 days for flavors to develop)

In this classic French dish, a veal roast is sliced and layered with a combination of soubise (onion) and duxelles (mushroom) stuffings, then put back together in the shape of the roast. Traditionally, it's covered with more stuffing and heavily coated with a Mornay sauce (which glazes the roast as it's heated in the oven). In our updated version, we keep the soubise and duxelles separate and arrange them side by side — black contrasting with white — on each veal slice, so the stuffings are visible. We use only a very thin coating of Mornay to glaze the dish, and serve the rest on the side.

We love this recipe as much for the soy-glazed bonito flakes, with their maddeningly good smoky-savory-sweet flavor, as for making such great use of leftovers.

Top off this easy-to-make dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

These cakes are actually better made ahead. They become richer and fudgier one to two days after baking.