Adapted from Pork and Sons by Stéphane Reynaud... More

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Turning sunchokes into a creamy soup is perhaps the most classic way of utilizing this lovely vegetable, but there are many other good options. In this recipe they're transformed into a smooth paté and served with one of the most quintessentially Scandinavian foods out there: smoked salmon. These two leading acts work extremely well together, and supported by some oven roasted crisp bread and dill becomes a charming plate of Scandinavian flavors. More

Franny's take on modern Italian begins with a great selection of appetizers including incredibly rich Chicken Liver Crostini. By adding capers, anchovies, rosemary, and sage to the browned livers the pâté takes on an incredible depth of flavor. And while the pâté could happily be spread on slices of rustic bread, at Franny's they up the ante by adding a smear of mayo and a crisp slice of pancetta. More

Slathered with a mayo-Sriracha mixture, the banh mi is a Vietnamese-inspired sandwich that piles pickled veggies, cilantro, jalapenos and various meats on a French baguette. Just because there's no banh mi restaurant in your area, doesn't mean you can't experience the deliciousness of this exotic sandwich at home. More

Shiitake mushrooms. Photograph by marcelo träsel on Flickr Let me begin by saying that I love pâté. Mousses, terrines, galantines, rillettes, even the ubiquitous liverwurst. Give me some toast points and a few cornichons and I am in heaven. So... More

Smoked trout is a criminally underreported ingredient in my book. Smoked salmon gets all kinds of attention, in its cold-smoked form as the centerpiece of bagels, but the humble trout has no one to sing its praises. It's always found... More

Photograph from amrufm on Flickr Chicken liver pâté is one of those rare but happy collisions of dirt cheap and delicious. With chicken livers at under $2 a pound, you can afford to make several servings of this velvety spread.... More