Gourmet

Michele Evola of New York, New York, writes: "I thought you might enjoy this family recipe. My aunt Bess puts fresh persimmons in the freezer so she can make these bars anytime." When Hachiya persimmons are very ripe, they're so fragile that they nearly turn to juice. If you want to freeze them as Michelle Evola's aunt Bess does, we suggest first putting them on a baking sheet in the freezer until they harden. Then wrap them in plastic wrap while they're hard and freeze them in a sealed plastic bag.

These moist, chewy cookies have an intense almond flavor. Barbara Bruno of New Portland, Maine, enjoys hers with a glass of chilled Champagne.

Erin Rutherford of Charlotte, North Carolina, writes: "This sauce was a hit with my supper club — I served it with filet mignon encrusted in black pepper, cumin, and sea salt, and it was killer. It would also pair well with swordfish."

Espagnole is a classic brown sauce, typically made from brown stock, mirepoix, and tomatoes, and thickened with roux. Given that the sauce is French in origin, where did the name come from? According to Alan Davidson, in The Oxford Companion to Food, "The name has nothing to do with Spain, any more than the counterpart term allemande has anything to do with Germany. It is generally believed that the terms were chosen because in French eyes Germans are blond and Spaniards are brown."

Unlike southern-style slow-cooked collards, this blanched and quickly sautéed version has a bit of chew.

Mâche is sold in different ways — sometimes it comes in a package with soil plugs attached and sometimes you can find it loose, like mesclun. If you're buying it with plugs attached, you'll need 1 1/2 pounds; if you're buying it loose, you'll need 5 ounces.

If you can't find mustard greens, broccoli rabe is a good substitute. Cut off and discard the tough stem ends, then coarsely chop the tender stems, leaves, and florets.

To make these celery root latkes a little easier, you can shred the potatoes, onions, and celery root in a food processor with the shredding disk.

This dish, combining crunchy almonds and sweet apricots, tastes great with lamb or chicken.

Prosciutto and sage add deep flavor to tilapia, which is a mild fish. Separating the two sides of the fillet helps to keep the thinner part from overcooking.

Ciuppin Although many San Franciscans think the zesty fish stew known as cioppino was invented in their city, it can actually be traced back to Genoa — ciuppin is the Genoese term for "nice little bowl of soup." Almost any white-fleshed saltwater fish will do, as long as it's very fresh.

Flavia Schepmans of New York, New York, writes: "One of many Belgian regional variations, this beef stew hails from my mother's natal city, Ghent." Our associate art director Flavia Schepmans's mother uses American-style beer in this recipe. If you want to try another beer, go for a Belgian ale — an imported pilsner might be too bitter.

This variation on paella uses Israeli couscous in place of rice.