French

This is a good vinaigrette for a simple green salad. Use extra-virgin olive oil if you prefer a fruitier flavor.

You can make this garlic mayonnaise with a mortar and pestle or a food processor—we’ve provided directions for each method. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Navettes are boat-shaped cakes from Provence traditionally flavored with orange water.

We baked these treats in mini brioche pans; small fluted tartlet pans would work just as well.

Any bread is lovely in this buttermilk batter.

You can make puff pastry from scratch by following the recipes on page 653 or 654.

Once the palmiers are in the oven, watch them closely, as they may go from a perfect dark golden brown to burned in seconds.

Don’t be discouraged if your napoleon doesn’t cut neatly into serving pieces; even if it’s slightly flattened, each bite will still be delicious. To pipe the white chocolate, you’ll need a piping cone made from parchment paper.

You can make coffee icing by whisking together 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 3 tablespoons brewed coffee. Make the icing just before serving.

The lined baking sheets can be marked with flour-dipped cookie cutters to help guide you in piping the dough into uniform shapes. (See how-to on page 652.)

This recipe makes two kinds of mousse: bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate.