Make soup:In large saucepan over moderately high heat, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in squash and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until soup thickens, about 30 minutes. While soup simmers, make pumpkin seeds:In small skillet over moderately high heat, heat oil. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and cayenne pepper and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl...

Make lemon soy mayonnaise:Stir together all mayonnaise ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve. Make shrimp cakes:Pulse chopped bacon in food processor until finely chopped. Pat shrimp dry, then add to bacon and pulse just until shrimp is coarsely chopped (do not purée). Soak bread in milk in a shallow bowl until very soft, about 30 seconds. Add wet bread to shrimp mixture, discarding any remaining milk, and pulse until just combined. Transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl, then stir in scallions, cilantro, cornstarch, salt,...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square, then transfer to a large baking sheet.Blend cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Bacon should be tender, not crisp.) Remove from heat.Spread cheese mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter bacon...

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. 2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook the mushrooms and onion in the margarine or butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Gradually stir in milk and chives; heat through. 3. Pour sauce over pasta. Toss to coat. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Trim asparagus to 6-inch lengths. Halve tortillas. Brush 1 half with some of egg mixture and place 1 piece asparagus along cut side. Tightly roll up tortilla. Insert 1 pick crosswise to secure. Brush outside of roll with more of egg and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Make 23 more rolls in same manner. Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet to 350°F. Fry rolls in batches of 3, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch, returning oil to 350°F between batches. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Stir together...

Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, orange peel, and crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add radicchio and toss to coat. Marinate 15 minutes. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Drain marinade into small bowl. Place radicchio on grill; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill radicchio until edges are crisp and slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer radicchio to serving platter. Drizzle with reserved marinade and sprinkle with cheese shavings. Test-kitchen tip: To make the cheese shavings, use a vegetable peeler to cut...

Simmer barley in 4 cups water, uncovered, in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot, until almost tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Drain in a sieve. Remove skin and any fat from duck legs. Cook skin and fat in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered, about 8 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding skin. Reserve fat. While fat is rendering, remove duck meat from bones, reserving bones, and shred meat into small pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon duck fat (reserving any remainder for...

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.Mound lettuce in center of 8 plates. Top each with persimmon slices, then drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and Candied Pecans.

Combine all ingredients in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cook, tightly covered, over moderate heat until all mussels open wide, 3 to 6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.) Serve in shallow bowls. *Available at adrianascaravan.com.

Cut beef and veal into 2-inch pieces. Combine flour and rustic rub in a small bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, lightly coat meat with seasoned flour, then gently pound meat to 1/4 inch thick with flat side of a meat pounder, turning meat over occasionally. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté all meat, stirring constantly and turning over, until evenly and lightly browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring and scraping...

Soak mushrooms in 5 cups boiling-hot water in a bowl, keeping them submerged with a small plate and turning mushrooms over occasionally, until softened and cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from caps back into bowl and reserve liquid, then cut out and discard stems from mushrooms. Cut caps into 1-inch wedges.While mushrooms soak, carefully break bean curd skins in half crosswise, then halve each portion crosswise again. Transfer to a bowl, then add enough boiling-hot water to cover and soak, turning occasionally,...

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1/4 cup oil, 2 garlic cloves, and coarse salt in large bowl to blend. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Transfer croutons to baking sheet. Bake croutons until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Combine cheese, mayonnaise, anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and 1 garlic clove in blender; puree until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Place lettuce and croutons in...

For bread dough:Whisk 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water and yeast in small bowl; let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 10 minutes.Mix flour, nigella seeds, and salt in medium bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir with wooden spoon until mixture clumps together. Add butter; mix until incorporated. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces; roll each into ball. Place on baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep covered...

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, 3 star anise, bay leaves, and garlic. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and broth. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.Remove and discard thyme sprigs, star anise, and bay leaves. Working in small batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth; return to same pot. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill. Rewarm over low heat before...

1. In a medium saucepan precook carrots, covered, in small amount of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain. Set aside. 2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside. 3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or 12-inch skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add carrots and leeks; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Push vegetables from the center of the wok. 4. Stir...

Wash leek slices in a bowl of cold water, agitating, then lift out and pat dry. Melt butter with water in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add cauliflower and leek and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower begins to soften (do not let brown), about 5 minutes. Add coriander and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then add broth, milk, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. ...

Bring chopped cauliflower and milk to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until cauliflower is tender, about 9 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep soup warm. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread pieces and stir until brown and crisp, about 9 minutes. Season croutons to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in thyme. Divide soup...

Put 1/2 cup sour cream in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl, then let drain, covered with plastic wrap and chilled, 3 hours.Stir together remaining 1/4 cup sour cream, eggs, onion, butter, dill, zest, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon chives until combined well.Invert bottom of springform pan (so that turned-up edge is underneath for easy removal of tart) and close side of pan around bottom. Spread egg mixture evenly in pan with offset spatula, smoothing top. Cover surface with plastic wrap, pressing gently, and chill until firm, at least...

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery; cover and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; sauté uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in celery root cubes and potato, then broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme. Increase heat to high; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.) Stir cream into soup...

Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot, then add oil and cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered,...