Gratin

Here's proof that an elegant dessert does not have to take hours to make. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This gratin makes a simple accompaniment to roast chicken, pork or even baked eggs.

This not-too-sweet potato dish is reminiscent of tzimmes, a traditional sweet potato, carrot and short rib stew. Using a four-millimeter slicing blade in processor makes the preparation a snap.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This very ancient dish of pickled salmon is of Swedish origin, and considered by a great many Scandinavians to be superior to smoked salmon. It must be made with fresh fish that has never been frozen, and with a plentiful supply of fresh dill weed.

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Roasted Pork Chops with Serrano Ham Vinaigrette .

Turnips stand in for the usual potatoes, giving this gratin a rich, hearty taste.

Serve this with roast lamb or chicken. Market tip: Let the greens (if attached) be your guide to freshness when selecting turnips. Make sure they are bright green and fresh-looking.

This can be completely assembled up to eight hours ahead, and then it requires only a short time in the oven.

Most vegetable gratins need to be bound with a white sauce. This is not true of gratins made from starchy vegetables, which will release enough starch to thicken the liquid around them. Here the sweet potatoes are baked first to concentrate their sweetness and then cooked a second time with just enough cream to mellow them out. This dish is an ideal accompaniment to roast poultry or pork.

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. "