Sweet Potato

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These potatoes and the fish can be roasted at the same time, using the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"While visiting my daughter near Portland, Oregon, I ordered the soup of the day at Mother's Bistro & Bar," writes Roslyn Levy of Palm Harbor, Florida. "It turned out to be the best sweet-potato soup I've ever had." Buy leafy celery stalks for this soup; the chopped leaves make a great garnish.

An inspired mix of ingredients in a savory sweet potato dish. This can be prepared four hours ahead and rewarmed in the oven 10 minutes before serving.

Marshmallows need not apply: This gratin gets a savory Parmesan cheese topping.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 40 min

This recipe is inspired by a dish served at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, in New York City. The smoky heat of the chipotle chile and the potato's natural sweetness balance each other beautifully.

This makes a rich but surprisingly light, torte. An absolute, worth-the-price-of-the-book winner. Mashed sweet potatoes make a great substitute for the traditional pureed chestnut paste. Chestnut puree is available kosher, but I have never been able to find it "kosher for Passover." It may seem unusual, but I can assure you of two things — it tastes divine and it is easier than buying fresh-in-the-shell chestnuts, roasting, poaching, and grating them to get them ready for this cake. You can also serve this in squares, as French-style "petit fours." The glaze slicks this up but is not necessary—a dusting of cocoa is just fine.

We strongly recommend using light-colored metal (including nonstick) shallow baking pans (1 large or 2 small) for this recipe. When we used dark baking pans, the potatoes blackened before they were completely cooked through.

One of two stuffings (see also the Apple and Sausage Stuffing) developed by Barbara Shinn and David Page of Home restaurant in New York. This dish features large cubes of French bread and a custardy texture. To ensure a crisply browned top, the stuffing should be baked separately from the turkey.

Based on two root vegetables, this soup tastes sophisticated nonetheless.

"As a confirmed New Englander, I was surprised to find a terrific seafood restaurant in Phoenix: Steamers Genuine," says Barbara J. Johnson of Worcester, Massachusetts. "The baked halibut was perfectly complemented by roasted vegetables and potatoes au gratin. I know how to make the fish, but I wouldn't know where to start with the other two dishes." This side dish and the Potato Gratin with White Cheddar Cheese would also be good with roast chicken or beef.

The crunchy crumb topping contrasts nicely with the orange-scented sweet-potato puree. Sweet paprika adds a touch of heat.

Most vegetable gratins need to be bound with a white sauce. This is not true of gratins made from starchy vegetables, which will release enough starch to thicken the liquid around them. Here the sweet potatoes are baked first to concentrate their sweetness and then cooked a second time with just enough cream to mellow them out. This dish is an ideal accompaniment to roast poultry or pork.