Recipes with light cream (half&half)

Creamy pinto bean soup pureed smooth with chile, onion, and light cream, garnished with toasted pine nuts, cilantro, and chives. From-scratch beans cooked until velvety.

Chilled cucumber soup, a creamy cold starter of cucumbers simmered with leek, celery, and sherry, thickened and enriched with light cream, then brightened with a splash of orange juice. Cool and elegant.

Creamy broccoli soup made with a butter-flour roux, chicken bouillon, and half-and-half. Uses frozen broccoli for a quick weeknight soup ready in under 45 minutes.

Homemade turkey gravy built from simmered giblets and neck, pan drippings, half and half, and a finishing splash of brandy. Rich, properly thickened, and worth the extra step on Thanksgiving day.

Cold soups make for excellent summer fare. The best vichyssoise I ever had in my life was at a French restaurant during a Montreal summer. Humor me. Try the soup in the traditional manner but then, if you must heat it up, (sigh), go ahead.

Fresh apple and sausage quiche: a savory-sweet brunch pie with bulk pork sausage, sauteed onions, sharp cheese, and cubed Red Delicious apples in a custard. Sweet, salty, and unexpected.

Layered fudge squares sandwich a homemade marshmallow fondant between two layers of milk chocolate fudge, then top with chopped nuts. Old-school candy-shop technique that yields about 48 squares of three-textured chocolate.

Salmon steaks with white wine cream sauce: tender salmon topped with a classic French-style butter, cream, egg yolk, and dry white wine sauce. A 30-minute bistro-style dinner for two.

Rich fish chowder with five pounds of fish simmered in fish stock, thickened with a butter roux, and finished with cream and Monterey Jack cheese for a velvety, hearty bowl.

Steak au poivre with pepper-crusted beef tenderloin, sauteed mushrooms, a brandy-cream pan sauce, and a bed of wilted watercress. Classic French bistro fare.

Overnight praline French toast baked on a sticky pecan-brown sugar base. Thick French bread soaked in egg custard, flipped onto a caramel-nut layer, and baked until puffed and golden.

Three-layer espresso jellies stack coffee gelatin, a dark chocolate Marsala layer, and vanilla-bean whipped cream in tall glasses. A tiramisu-inspired make-ahead dessert with restaurant presentation.

Chilled raspberry soup with sour cream, dry sherry, pineapple juice, and grenadine, thickened with gelatin and refrigerated overnight. An elegant cold dessert soup.

Classic oyster stew with shucked oysters gently cooked in butter, then combined with scalded milk and cream. Seasoned with white pepper and nutmeg. Simple, rich, and traditional.

Creamy mushroom and pea sauce with white wine, Parmesan, and a rich butter-cream base. Toss with your favorite pasta or spoon over rice for a fast, elegant weeknight dinner.

Hungarian cream of spinach soup with a roux-thickened base, pureed spinach, and half-and-half. Garnished with sliced hard-boiled eggs and crispy crumbled bacon.

From-scratch pumpkin pie with fresh or canned pumpkin, dark brown sugar, molasses, raisins, and toasted pecans. Richer and more complex than the back-of-the-can version.

Classic quiche Lorraine with bacon, Swiss cheese, and thyme-sauteed onions in a homemade butter crust. Five whole eggs plus two yolks create an extra-rich, silky custard filling.

Scalloped oysters layered with buttery cracker crumbs, cream, and a drop of Worcestershire. A microwave-quick version of the holiday side that comes together in under 20 minutes without giving up the toasty top.

Warm baked blue cheese dip with cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives, topped with chopped smoked almonds. The party appetizer everyone fights over the bottom of.

Crispy toasted mushroom rolls with a creamy duxelles filling of sauteed mushrooms, cream, chives, and marjoram wrapped in flattened white bread. A freezer-friendly party appetizer.

Creamy pureed parsnip and carrot soup with half-and-half, fresh herbs, and a crispy bacon garnish. A silky root vegetable soup for cool-weather dinners.

Smoky bacon meets sharp cheddar in this velvety soup loaded with tender vegetables. Cook everything in bacon fat for maximum flavor, then stir in cream for pure comfort in a bowl.

Farfalle pasta carbonara with bacon, broccoli, red bell pepper, and Parmesan in a creamy half-and-half sauce. A vegetable-loaded twist on classic carbonara made in one skillet.

Curried chicken and apple soup with golden sautéed onions and celery, pureed smooth with stock, then chilled and finished with cold cream for silky texture.

Cheese and pasta pie with a baked spaghetti crust filled with ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan. An Italian-style quiche that uses pasta for the crust.

Hearty meat and Vidalia onion pie layers ground beef, sweet onions, mushrooms and a Swiss-cheddar sour cream custard over a flaky buttermilk biscuit crust. Southern comfort food in a skillet pie.

New England creamy clam chowder steams fresh littlenecks for their broth, then simmers with salt pork, potatoes, onions, and half-and-half. The classic from-scratch version, no canned shortcuts.

Creamy linguine with sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, shallots, garlic, and white wine in a half-and-half sauce finished with Parmesan. Restaurant-style Italian pasta at home.

Salmon Quiche with Mushrooms and Horseradish recipe

Pepperoni and Vidalia onion quiche with slow-cooked sweet onions, Swiss cheese, and a yogurt-enriched custard in a prebaked pie shell. A savory, pizza-meets-quiche brunch dish.

Fried eggplant rounds with Parmesan crust topped with a creamy crab and shrimp sauce flavored with liquid crab boil, cream cheese, and Tabasco. A Cajun-style showstopper.

Salami pizza quiche combines pizza flavors with a creamy egg custard: minced salami and mozzarella in a pie crust with oregano and garlic, topped with hot pizza sauce.

Elegant chocolate log cake (Buche de Noel) with a cocoa sponge rolled around marshmallow whipped cream filling, covered in chocolate frosting, and topped with pecans.

Emerald vichyssoise, a chilled spinach and potato soup with cream, chicken broth, scallions, and lemon juice. A vibrant green twist on classic vichyssoise.

Shirred eggs baked in bacon-lined muffin cups with dry sherry and cream, served on toasted English muffins. An elegant 30-minute brunch that looks fancy but couldn't be easier.

Layered banana yogurt cake with toasted coconut, banana syrup, creamy pecan filling, and white snow frosting. A showpiece layer cake with three homemade components.

This is the best Monte Cristo sandwich in the world... and I don't just mean Disneyworld. It seems complicated but believe me..it is well worth the effort. Make each item in the order given. The Currant Jelly Sauce and the Fruit Compote go alongside.

Mushroom caps stuffed with a savory filling of sautéed stems, onions, clam juice, sautérne wine, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan, baked until golden and bubbling.

Chilled Spanish-style cantaloupe soup blended with potato, half and half, and dry sherry. Silky, elegant, and ready in 15 minutes. Garnish with nutmeg or a slice of lime.

Rigatoni quattro formaggi with Gorgonzola, Bel Paese, Fontina, and Parmesan in a half-and-half sauce. The classic Italian four-cheese pasta in 25 minutes.

Bite-sized crab quiche squares with Gouda, dill, and a press-in shortening crust. Freezer-friendly and perfect for party platters, brunch spreads, or make-ahead entertaining.

Frozen angel pie with a nutty meringue shell filled with coffee and chocolate ice cream, drizzled with warm brown sugar caramel sauce. A retro showstopper.

Marbled pumpkin cheesecake squares swirl a tangy cream cheese topping into a spiced pumpkin batter built with prune puree instead of butter or oil. Lower-fat fall dessert with cinnamon, ginger and clove.

New England-style fish and clam chowder with fresh corn, potatoes, pork fat, white wine, and light cream. Loaded with herbs like thyme, sage, marjoram, and rosemary.

Austrian Wiener Schnitzel seasoned with Worcestershire, mustard, and Parmesan, then breaded and pan-fried in butter. Served with a velvety tomato-cream sauce that steals the show.

Here's a recipe for pumpkin soup. It comes from Jon Gatewood, the executive chef of Emma's restaurant in the Silas Griffith Inn in Danby, Vermont.

An unexpected chilled soup featuring black olives simmered in chicken stock with cream, egg, dry sherry, and a dash of steak sauce. Briny, creamy, and utterly sophisticated.