572 elegant recipes

Elegant shortbread-style cookies with ground toasted pecans and a splash of dry sherry. Pressed with decorative designs and ripened overnight for the best texture. Makes 90 cookies.

Delicate, paper-thin cookies infused with toasted saffron, ground almonds, and a whisper of lemon. Sugar-sprinkled and crisp at the edges, this recipe yields 100 elegant bites.

A clean, elegant Chinese soup with just five ingredients: fresh shrimp, crunchy water chestnuts, and green onions in light chicken broth. Simple, nourishing, and ready in 45 minutes.

Elegant cranberry twist on Peach Melba with poached peach halves, vanilla ice cream, and a pureed cranberry-kirsch sauce. A stunning dinner party dessert served in stemmed glasses.

Paper-thin swordfish paillard flash-cooked until just opaque, topped with blanched leek julienne, fresh grapefruit segments, and a tangy mustard seed vinaigrette. An elegant 30-minute dinner.

Vegetarian Greek stuffed grape leaves filled with seasoned rice, toasted pine nuts, and sweet currants. Served cold with fresh lemon wedges, these dolmathes make an elegant meze appetizer.

A quick no-bake cherry and almond topping spooned over layered angel food cake and ringed with chocolate curls. An elegant 15-minute dessert with zero oven time.

Seared venison medallions in a rich port wine and chestnut sauce with fresh figs. An elegant wild game dinner that feels straight out of a European countryside bistro.

Fresh fig halves stuffed with semisweet chocolate chips, chopped fresh mint, and toasted almonds, then baked until warm and melty. An elegant 4-ingredient bite for fig season.

A classic chocolate souffle from Eunice Kennedy Shriver's kitchen, made with unsweetened chocolate, a touch of coffee, and billowy whipped egg whites. Elegant enough for any holiday table.

Skinless Cornish hen halves basted with brandy, apple juice, and paprika, served over a cinnamon-scented wild rice pilaf with brandy-soaked raisins. Light, elegant, and feeds eight.

Flour-dusted trout fillets pan-seared in fragrant walnut oil, finished with toasted walnuts and a splash of sherry vinegar. Elegant enough for company, easy enough for Tuesday.

An elegant vegetarian plate of couscous, basmati rice, and quinoa timbales served over a silky roasted sweet corn coulis. Restaurant-worthy presentation for a dinner party grain course.

A chilled Hungarian-style cherry soup made with Bing cherries, claret wine, cinnamon, and lemon, thickened with egg yolk. Served cold as an elegant starter or light meal.

Silky pureed chestnut soup with roasted chestnuts, herbs, and a splash of marsala or sherry. Serve it hot for winter warmth or chilled for an elegant summer starter.

Cucumber leek sauce made from fresh juiced cucumbers, thickened with a slurry and finished with lime, white wine, dill, and a touch of butter. Light, bright, and elegant.