Brandy

Rich, creamy, suave flavor is the hallmark of this terrine. The shallots create their own sauce, so this is best served on a plate rather than on a slice of bread.

Terrine de Campagne The straightforward character of this terrine reminds us of the words of Richard Olney, an influential American cookbook writer and editor who rusticated in the French countryside for almost 50 years. "A simple terrine," he wrote in his Simple French Food, "is never so good as when prepared in the easiest possible way, all of the ingredients of the composition mixed, pell-mell but intimately, together."

The beauty of plums becomes all the more evident when they are displayed in a galette. Accompanied by sweetened Armagnac crème fraîche, this one makes a wonderfully sophisticated dessert.

The garlicky herb butter is similar to the butter served with escargots in southwestern France. IMPROV: When preparing the butter, try a shallot instead of garlic, and thyme instead of parsley.

Heavily spiked, our take on the Singapore Sling highlights the aromatic quality of Benedictine, a Cognac-based liqueur that smells of honey, citrus, and herbs.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Click here to learn more about the Brandy Alexander.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

We are happy to announce that Marla Orenstein has won our February 2006 "Cook the Cover" contest with her delicious variation on our Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Mousse Cake. Marla Orenstein explains her variation:
To me, this rich, heavy chocolate dessert is enhanced with the addition of a complementary tart or sour taste. In this recipe, I have added a new layer—a reduction of sour cherry jam mixed with balsamic vinegar and brandy—between the chocolate shortbread and the chocolate mousse. I find the taste of the whole cake to be more complex and enjoyable as a result.

Fresh apple juice and Calvados, a dry apple brandy, make the sauce something special.

Fill a glass pitcher or punch bowl with this fun, fruity wine-based aperitif.

These warm little drinks are delicious — you may want to make a double batch.

Light and fluffy, these impressive desserts look, smell, and taste extraordinary — meringue gives them a cloudlike texture, while quince adds a delicious fragrance and beautiful pink hue. And they're very manageable for a small dinner party if you make your crêpes and prepare the quince ahead (see cooks' note, below). Bring them both to room temperature when you sit down to dinner; when it's time for dessert, you'll only need to beat your egg whites and assemble the soufflés for baking.

A boneless center-cut pork loin is incredibly versatile. Infused with the deep sweetness of prunes, it takes on the rich, robust flavors of southwestern France.

We've run at least a dozen different recipes for steak au poivre since our first one, in 1953 — and there's a reason why, even after we started adorning meat with chiles, salts, and dry rubs, we continue to return to this dish. Why? Because it's so darn good. And despite its somewhat macho image, this particular preparation tastes practically tony. (We found it a good excuse to use fine-quality peppercorns, such as Tellicherry or the smoky, meaty Talamanca del Caribe.)