FIRST, a French friend brings a spectacular homemade dessert to dinner. It’s a Paris-Brest -- a large ring of choux paste sliced horizontally, filled with praline pastry cream and whipped cream and ...

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. "Of the many recipes that were born in my kitchen, this was one of the most exciting because it became the New York Times 1972 Dessert of the Year," ...