European

This version of colcannon, usually a combination of buttery mashed potatoes and cabbage, is a wonderful accompaniment to grilled sausages or Beef Stew with Stout .

Scaffata This is a wonderful Roman spring dish that can be made when peas and favas in their shells are young and sweet. The name comes from the word scaffare — "to shell" in Roman dialect. It is especially good when served with roasted spring lamb or goat. The outermost, less tender leaves of a head of romaine, which you may not want to use in a salad, are perfect for this dish.

The standard Scandinavian way of cooking a goose or duck is to stuff it with apples and prunes. When cooking a duck, adjust amount of stuffing to the size of the fowl; a 5-6 pound duck takes about 2 cups of stuffing.

When I was asked to be the guest chef for a meal honoring Sr. Alvarez del Manzano, the mayor of Madrid, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, the menu included this classic Spanish tart. It is so rich and moist, it needs no more garnish than a little natillas [crèeme anglais] and a dusting of powdered sugar.

This version of clafouti is like a custard.

A rustic tart with a delicious hazelnut crust, sweet filling and buttery topping.

The freshest greens and a blend of sweet and savory ingredients are the secrets to the appealing first course for this Italian dinner.

This German drink, called Grossmutters Punsch (Grandmother's Punch), is usually enjoyed warm at midnight on Christmas Eve. It can also be served as a refreshing chilled drink. For a festive touch, add a cinnamon stick to each glass.

Americans enjoyed most of the food at the scores of Italian restaurants that opened in the twenties, but they couldn't understand the appeal of spaghetti and tomato sauce: Where was the meat? To accommodate, the restaurants began to top the pasta with meatballs. This recipe takes the dish a step further by adding the Sicilian flavors of pine nuts and currants.

To round out the menu, offer a tossed green salad and uncork a Chianti to go with this delicious pasta dish. Sharpen your chopping and mincing skills with our technique video.

This English-style steamed pudding is a bit lighter than the typical rendition — with no candied fruit — and it looks pretty surrounded with holly leaves.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The port cities of Normandy-Caen among them-offer almost endless choices for fall menu planning. For this satisfying stew, the natural bounty of Normandy's waters, the rich cream of its pasturelands and its distinctive apple-based brandy called Calvados are combined with savory root vegetables from the local harvest. Start out with your favorite pâté and some cornichons, and serve a crusty baguette with the stew. Pour a white Burgundy or hard cider.

Transform flounder fillets into an elegant dinner with this classic French technique.

(Sicilian "Pizza" with Onions and Anchovies) Sfinciune derives its name from a word in local dialect meaning soft, light, or tender, a reference to its rich, airy crust. This version of sfinciune has a bread-crumb topping, which gives it a pleasant crunch.