European

Partially freezing the tenderloin after searing it makes slicing easier.

To make the very thin layers for this torte, the batter is spread on inverted cake pans. It is important that the batter be spread evenly and that the layers not be overbaked. (Do not use dark metal or non-stick pans.)

(TORTINO DI PATATE ALLA PARMIGIANA) Gratins made from potatoes and other vegetables have long been a part of the country cooking around Parma. Here's a rich one that takes advantage of a star ingredient: Parmesan cheese. The dish is often served during Lent or on other meatless days.

Resist the temptation to use soft-ripe pears in this recipe as they will disintegrate during cooking and produce too much liquid.

(BONET) This Piedmont specialty is made with two of the region's best-known products: chocolate and amaretti cookies. Begin preparing the dessert a day before serving. A slightly sparkling, floral and fruity Moscato d'Asti would complement it beautifully.

(INVOLTINI DI VITELLO CON PECORINO E ACETO BALSAMIC)

This style of pizza is called "sfincione" in its native Sicily. Precede it with some canned bean soup that has been accented with chopped fresh sage and diced tomatoes. End with strawberries drizzled with Marsala, and pass nougat candies or assorted chocolates.

This "red sauce meets Guido in Little Italy" classic has much more to do with the clams than what you may be used to eating. Note that the bread crumbs here are fresh—that is to say, made only from today's bread, not from day-old bread (and definitely not the kind that comes in a can).

Here's the traditional Irish soda bread—just flour, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, and optional caraway seeds. For traditional brown soda bread, substitute whole-wheat flour for part, or all, of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.

In England, these crisp raisin-flecked treats are called Madeira biscuits-biscuit being the British word for cookie, and a glass of Madeira being a favorite accompaniment for this particular type.

I made these cookies for my son's class at school as part of France's annual week of taste, or semaine du gout. The idea was to show how sweet and salty flavors complement each other.

An easy sparkling wine cocktail, made with a touch of black currant liqueur.

One bite of this exemplary antipasto entirely changed the way I thought about Italian cooking—and cooking in general. So Zen-like in their elegance and simplicity, so little and yet so much said, these delicious little dreamboats truly capture the dreamlike state of the Amalfi coast and the cooking that defines it. The cured anchovies will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Grill the veal while the noodles boil so both are ready at the same time.