Recipes

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Last Thanksgiving, Susy Davidson, food editor of Food & Wine magazine, prepared this wonderful celery-root puree in the microwave oven. This cooking method makes for a richer-tasting puree.

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Until my move to France, I really didn't feel one way or the other about prunes. But as I've traveled the country, I've discovered the wonders of this rich dried fruit. Something happens to the prunes in this tart as they bake, turning them into almost a sweet, compact candy. Be sure to make a good, strong tea (I used about one tablespoon of loose Earl Grey tea leaves to the two cups of water) for soaking the prunes.

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Randy Kennedy · NYT Cooking

Randy Kennedy

Ann Patchett · NYT Cooking

Ann Patchett

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

Julia Moskin

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

The inspiration for this foolproof recipe came from the Paris bakery Moulin de la Vierge. These honey-kissed squares can be made ahead, do not require exotic equipment, are relatively simple (you pat the crust in the pan) and are beautiful, with a glistening glaze. Stored in an airtight container, they stay fresh for days.

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Thin coconut milk Canned or frozen coconut milk may be used for this curry, but it will be thicker and heavier than the milk you prepare yourself.

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

A classic Provençal beef daube, or slow-baked stew, is made with quantities of red wine, like the recipes that Julia Child often made in her house in Provence, La Pitchoune. Patricia Wells, a former New York Times food writer in Paris, also lives part-time in the South of France, and she has adapted the daube for white wine, which plays a more subtle part in flavoring the stew. The large amount of liquid makes a tender braise that can also be served as a sauce for pasta: penne, gnocchi and long noodles like tagliatelle are familiar in the region, which borders Italy on the east. Julia Moskin

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

A Passover flourless chocolate pecan torte, served with berries sweetened with shaved piloncillo, raw Mexican brown sugar, and flavored with lime juice. Joan Nathan

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Joan Nathan

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

This Passover dish from Patricia Jinich came to The Times in 2009. For Ms. Jinich, who grew up in Mexico, one of 40,000 to 50,000 Jews, European and Mexican influences ran through Passover and holiday cooking: chicken soups with matzo might feature jalapeños, while meat stews were paired with salsa. Ms. Jinich learned this recipe from Flora Cohen, a woman of Syrian background who taught her and other Jewish brides in Mexico City how to cook. Here, a combination of dried apricots and apricot preserves give this chicken a savory sweetness, while chipotles in adobo add a little heat. Joan Nathan