French

This salad was inspired by the classic French bistro salad, in which sturdy winter greens are laced with crisp lardons of bacon and a silky poached egg. We’ll never begrudge you a bit of bacon, but here vegetables are roasted to give the salad a leaner form of texture, flavor, and color.

The gelatin in the mousse stabilizes it, so you can make and fill the roll a day ahead without worrying about it weeping or deflating.

The effort-to-impressiveness ratio doesn’t get much better than this, people. Go ahead and double (Triple! Quadruple!) this recipe and you’ve got hostess gifts, emergency entertaining fodder, and quick, decadent snacks for days.

For those who love savory snacks. A sprinkling of torn basil wouldn’t hurt, either.

Yes, you could serve these crepes before they’ve been caramelized in sugar, but why deprive yourself?

If using skin-on hazelnuts, rub them inside a clean kitchen towel after they've been toasted--the skins will slip right off. Serve the fish with a lightly dressed butter lettuce and herb salad.

This recipe makes enough mignonette for a dozen oysters.