American

I know it sounds odd, but my girl LOVED butternut squash! This dog might even go for it before a steak, especially if there were also pasta and cheese involved in the deal.

A “stoup” is what I call a soup that is almost as thick as a stew. This one can be prepared as a vegetarian entrée as well by omitting the ham.

To the Horror of chef Daniel Rose (see page 68) of Spring Restaurant in Paris, it is impossible to find an American brisket in France. It just doesn’t exist. American butchers tend to cut larger pieces of meat. Five- or six-pound briskets (poitrines) or huge rib-eye steaks (entrecôtes) are the result of sawing through the muscle or the shoulder section of the animal. French butchers, by contrast, cut around the contours of the muscles to yield more tender but much smaller pieces. French Jews tend to use a breast of veal that usually has a pocket inside it for stuffing for their brisket. In this version, Daniel applies French techniques to make a perfectly delicious brisket with a subtle hint of orange in the sauce. I always make this dish a day in advance.

Apple Brown Betty is an old-fashioned dessert that looks and tastes as wholesome as can be.

Here’s a summer harvest dish that I absolutely love. Fresh corn kernels are a must if you want to get the full impact of the fresh flavors. This is great with veggie burgers, soy hot dogs, and tortilla specialties.

The combination of sweet potatoes, chilies, and cheese is downright sensuous. Serve with Summer Squash and Corn Sauté (page 209) and a simple tossed salad.

I always keep a can or two of refried beans in the pantry and flour tortillas in the freezer for those nights when I am on the verge of reaching for a take-out menu. Even if you are bone-weary by dinnertime, these two ingredients are the ticket to nearly effortless yet highly satisfying meals such as this one and the following burritos.

I know, I know—this hardly qualifies as a recipe (I can just hear the critics!). Yet this recipe has saved me from take-out more times than I care to admit. Gourmet it’s not, but it is low in fat and high in fiber and protein. And since everyone in my family likes this, it ranks among our favorite “emergency” dinners. Serve with Creamy Coleslaw (page 35) and baked sweet potatoes.

A few choice ingredients contribute to this elegant potato salad. If you like goat cheese, you’ll love this one.

This is an easy recipe for a late summer backyard feast. Steamed lobster, lemony butter, and a few cold beers: That’s love. Special equipment needed: kitchen shears, tongs, crackers, bibs, and a napkin to wipe your chin.

Good clam chowder starts with really good, fresh clams. It’s easy to find them if you live on the coast, but even if you’re landlocked in Ohio, you can ask the guy in the seafood department to order them. I use both cherrystones, which are large and meaty, plus smaller littlenecks, which are more delicate and should be cooked only briefly. I don’t care for bottled clam juice because of its high sodium content.

This recipe is a hybrid from different schools of thought. The texture is that of shredded beef, which is authentic Texan, but the flavor is the American Southwest. The dried chilies and the chocolate give this dish an amazing rich, smoky depth. If you’re a purist and think adding beans is a sacrilege, leave them out, but they do work really well here. This is truly one of the best dishes I’ve ever made.