Thyme

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Potatoes roasted with olive oil and chopped fresh rosemary are a nice accompaniment. What to drink: Poggio del Sasso.

Thyme really shines in this soup; sautéed apples are an interesting sweet garnish.

If you can't find pancetta, you can substitute regular bacon.

(COUNTRY TERRINE) My local butcher, Mr. Delasalle, wouldn't part with his terrine recipe, though he gave me plenty of hints. What follows is a recipe that closely replicates his.

Whole roasted chestnuts (now conveniently packed ready-to-use in jars) and creamy Fontina cheese enrich this take on a classic southern bread.

Pick up some crunchy coleslaw and corn bread to go with the fish. Bourbon-spiked sweetened peaches with vanilla ice cream are a nice dessert.

At Babbo in New York, chef Mario Batali serves this dish with freshly made pappardelle pasta. We've simplified the entrée for the home cook by substituting purchased fettuccine.

I leave the skin on the breasts so I can stuff the herbs and garlic underneath.

Happily, this fish dish can be made a day ahead. Simply remove it from the refrigerator and arrange 2 hours before serving. Even better, the sauce also can be made 2 days ahead and kept, well covered, in the refrigerator. It's from Mexico, One Plate at a Time (Scribner), by Rick Bayless, the celebrated Chicago chef and cookbook author.

If you can't find fresh lobsters, frozen lobster meat can be used.

Marinate the steaks one to eight hours before grilling. What to drink: A red wine with ripe fruit (such as Côtes du Rhône) or a pale ale.

Those with Texas-size appetites will require an entire steak; for most others — even the heartiest of meat lovers — half of one of these rib steaks is probably plenty.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is used to prepare Grilled Tuna and Roasted Peppers Sandwiches on Thyme Focaccia and Presciutto, Mozzarella, and Olive Sandwiches on Parmesan Focaccia . If you need only one focaccia, freeze the other for later use. Focaccia keeps, frozen, 2 weeks.

A specialty of chef Eileen Joyce. This is as deliciously simple as fresh fish gets.

This is the soup everyone enjoyed in Louviers for Carnaval. Quick to make, deliciously satisfying and alluring, you will find it hits the spot on a cool late winter to spring evening.