DAY Recipe

DIRECTIONS

Force eggs through a sieve into a small bowl and gently toss with onion.

Trim 36 pumpernickel slices to 1 1/4-inch squares, then top each with1/2 teaspoon sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon egg, and 1/2 teaspoon caviar.

Cooks’ notes:
• Eggs can be boiled 2 days ahead and chilled. Mince onion and add to eggwithin 1 hour of serving.
• Pumpernickel squares can be cut 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

DIRECTIONS

Cook onion in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, water, salt, pepper, and cloves and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes.

Purée soup in 3 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until very smooth, about 1 minute, transferring to a bowl. Stir in orange and lemon juices.

Chill soup, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.

Cooks’ note:
• Soup can be chilled up to 2 days. Thin with water before serving if necessary.

DIRECTIONS

Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until foamy and add eggshells. Separately pulse tomatoes and celery in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then add to egg whites. Whisk in beef, salt, and peppercorns.

Heat veal stock, if jellied, in a 4-quart heavy saucepan just until it becomes liquid, then whisk in beef mixture. Heat over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping bottom constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent egg white from sticking, until stock comes to a simmer (this will take about 20 minutes). Reduce heat and gently simmer broth, without stirring, until all impurities rise to surface and form a crust, and broth underneath is clear, about 30 minutes.

Ladle broth with crust into a large sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened paper towels set over a large bowl and let all liquid drain through. (If liquid doesn’t drain completely, tap edge of sieve repeatedly with a metal spoon to help drain.) Broth shouldbe completely clear; if it’s not, repeat procedure with clean dampenedpaper towels. Discard solids.

Before serving, bring consommé to a boil and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with profiteroles and garnishes.

Cooks’ note:
• Consommé can be made ahead: Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered, 1 dayor freeze 1 month.

DIRECTIONS

Simmer sugar and water in a large heavy saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Gently stir in figs, zest, and lemon juice and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Gently stir in sesame seeds.

Cooks’ notes:
• Jam keeps, covered and chilled, 1 month.

•Toast seeds in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant and a shade or two darker. Or, toast in a shallow baking pan in a 350°F oven, 5 to 10 minutes.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200°F and line a large baking sheet with baking pador parchment.

Sift together confectioners sugar and cumin twice to evenly incorporate. Sift half of cumin sugar evenly onto baking sheet.

Cut apple crosswise into very thin round slices (about 1/16 inch thick)with slicer. Arrange 20 of largest slices nearly touching each otheron baking sheet, then evenly sift remaining cumin sugar over apples. (Reserve remaining apple slicesfor another use.)

Bake slices in middle of oven until pale golden and beginning to crisp, about 1 1/2 hours. Immediately peel chips off pad and cool on a rack.

Cooks’ note:
• apple chips keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

* Available in most cookware shops.