Morel Mushroom

This dish has a livelier, fresher taste than traditional risotto because the vegetables are cooked separately from the rice and then spooned over it in a rich ragout.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Eric Ripert and Michael Ruhlman's book the A Return To Cooking. To read more about Ripert, click here. Here salmon is poached simply in salt water and served very rare with mushrooms and a mushroom broth, along with creamy polenta. The polenta adds a starch that the salmon needs, but it is also delicate and won't overwhelm the flavors of the fish. Mushrooms and polenta are a great classical pair, and a sturdy, satisfying match for the meaty salmon.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

One of the very best things about this stew is its practical nature: If you blanch the vegetables, boil the potatoes, and make the infused broth a day ahead, this dish takes only 15 minutes to cook.

Use fresh button mushrooms if wild mushrooms are hard to get; you will still have delicious results. Yukon Gold potatoes have a pale yellow color and a buttery taste that adds to the richness of this dish.

For a hearty meal, just add some garlic mashed potatoes to go with the chicken. The recipe doubles easily.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Croûte Forestière This is based on a croûte forestière I tasted at the Bois Gourmand restaurant outside Champagnole, in the heart of the mountainous Jura region in France. The restaurant is known in the area for its regional specialties, and this was an intriguing interpretation of the typical croûte forestière which is made entirely with morels.

This classic regional dish is from Ralph Potter, chef at Darley's at Lilianfels in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Sydney. "Wild mushrooms are so plentiful when the sun has come out after it's been raining for a few days, why not be indulgent and make a special soup out of them to celebrate the season."

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Find the dried mushrooms in the produce section of the supermarket. Breadsticks and a radicchio salad with crumbled goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette round out the meal. End with poached apricots and honey cookies.

Most people are familiar with confit duck legs, but the French confit the gizzards, too. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This flavorful entrée is very low in fat.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Veal Chops with Morel Sauce . Fresh morels, veal stock, or demiglace are available at specialty foods shops.