Chestnut

Chestnuts are harvested in the area around Alba and figure in many savory and sweet dishes there, particularly stews like this ragout. Gathered after they have fallen, chestnuts are traditionally served with game, but they also pair well with veal-another staple of northern Italian cuisine. If fresh chestnuts are unavailable, roasted vacuum-packed chestnuts-sold in jars in the specialty foods section of many supermarkets-can be used. Supply crusty bread for soaking up the juices. Accompany with a radicchio and escarole salad, and uncork a Barolo.

Active time: 1 hr. Start to finish: 1 hr.

Serve with: Steaks, burgers, sausages, pork, duck, or salmon. Combine with: Sautéed greens (such as escarole). Use as: A topping for thin-crust pizza sprinkled with Gorgonzola.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Crown of Shrimp with Truffle Sauce . Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Chinese chestnuts are quite common in the cuisine of northern China; they also appear in the food of Shanghai. These sweet meats, which are smaller than their European cousins, are used in many braised dishes and casseroles. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 hr

In this luscious soup, the restaurant uses a squash that is relatively new to the American market: the kabocha, a beautiful jade-green winter squash with deep orange flesh. Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

This rich side dish could easily stand on its own as an elegant meatless main course.

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

Though the truffles lend a wonderfully rich flavor to the shrimp, they are fairly costly, so you might want to save this dish for special occasions.

This turkey is roasted in true French fashion with black truffles and shallots. Prepare the truffle butter and rub it over the turkey the day before roasting. A red Burgundy complements the earthy truffle flavor.

An Asian treatment of chestnuts that will be right at home with all your side dishes.

We can thank Vic Bergeron — owner of Trader Vic's restaurant, in San Francisco — for bringing rumaki into mainstream dining culture. He claimed that this delicious hors d'oeuvre came from Hawaii, with Chinese roots and a Japanese name. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An elegant first course from Club Gascon.

The griddled persimmon cakes we had with duck in Xi'an inspired this salad.