572 elegant recipes

Broiled salmon glazed with balsamic vinegar, Dijon, and brown sugar, served with a homemade curried eggplant chutney simmered with mustard seeds and red bell pepper. Dinner-party elegant, weeknight doable.

Striped bass fillets baked in white wine and lemon butter, finished with a velvety cream sauce enriched with egg yolks, tomatoes, mushrooms, and shallots. French-inspired elegance for a crowd.

Cornish hens stuffed with turnip-apple-potato mash, browned in clarified butter, and braised in Calvados and apple juice. An elegant French-inspired dinner with autumn flavors in every bite.

Blanched cherry tomatoes get a sophisticated twist with an icy vodka dip and kosher salt finish in this minimalist party bite that's equal parts elegant and dangerously easy to devour.

Pan-seared fish fillets in a Mediterranean sauce of kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. Ready in 25 minutes with trout, sole, or orange roughy. Quick, elegant weeknight dinner.

Flaky puff pastry twists filled with honey-sweetened pistachios, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves. Buttery, nutty, and golden-baked, these make 2 dozen elegant pastries in just 45 minutes.

A 3-ingredient chilled bisque that blends frozen cream of potato soup with peppery fresh watercress and milk into a smooth, elegant cold soup. Ready in minutes, no cooking required.

Vibrant broccoli and zucchini saute with green onions, basil, and soy sauce. Serve hot or cold on a bed of lettuce for an elegant side dish that feeds a crowd.

Fresh Bartlett pears cored, stuffed with minced Chinese dates and orange honey, then gently steamed until tender. A traditional Chinese dessert with just three ingredients that's elegant and naturally light.

Poached pears in a raspberry-apple juice sauce with lemon zest. An elegant, light fruit dessert served warm or chilled with a jewel-toned syrup that needs no added sugar.

Homemade vol au vent shells made from puff pastry shaped around a foil ball for a hollow center. Fill with chicken, seafood, or mushroom sauce for an elegant French appetizer.

Asian-style Cornish hen wraps split hen breasts around asparagus spears and steams them in a bamboo steamer over rice with bok choy, broccoli, and peppers. Elegant pan-Asian dinner.

Pan-fried orange roughy fillets with crisp breadcrumb crust, finished with a bright pan sauce of garlic, white wine, lemon juice and parsley. Light, flaky and elegant in 40 minutes.

An elegant French strawberry chibouste-style dessert: pastry cream lightened with Italian meringue, set with gelatin, molded against fresh strawberries over a thin genoise base. A patisserie classic at home.

Chicken fillets (kip is Dutch for chicken) pan-seared and served with a creme fraiche and red grapefruit sauce brightened with shallots and coriander. A quick, elegant Dutch-style main.

Crayfish and poached quail egg salad pairs court-bouillon-poached crayfish with delicate soft quail eggs over greens, dressed in a truffle and dill vinaigrette. An elegant composed seafood starter.