Main Meats

Filet of beef "en croute," better known as Beef Wellington, is a classic holiday dish. Since filet or tenderloin is generally a leaner cut than, say, a ribeye or a Porterhouse, it makes perfect sense to wrap it in something almost completely composed of butter: puff pastry, with a layer of sauteed mushrooms in between to keep things moist and flavorful. 

Few other braised meats can achieve the richness and depth of braised lamb shanks. This recipe seasons the braising liquid with spices associated with Moroccan cooking. If you can't  find the ras-el-hanout, a North African spice blend, you can substitute curry.

Franc, a pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, was brilliant at putting flavors together. He would steal our peeled fava beans, spread sweet butter on grilled toast, dot the toast with the purloined beans, and sprinkle coarse salt on top.