The essence of an onion soup is, well, the onions. When onions slow-cook, they evolve into a slippery, squishy, mahogany-colored mound, which becomes the base for a sweet, rich and slurp-worthy soup

Here is where patience pays off: It's essential that the onions cook for a long time. They must sweat, break down and release their sweet juices. The juices, in turn, must slowly evaporate, allowing the onions to caramelize. If you skip this process, you will miss that extra depth of flavor that makes onion soup so satisfying.

Don't be put off by the time required. With this technique, all you need is an oven, with little effort involved until you're ready to finish the soup. The onions will cook through the afternoon -- filling your house with delicious aromas -- and an hour before dinner, move them to the stovetop to finish, and make the croutons. This is the essence of slow cooking: Simplicity, economy of ingredients, time and care, resulting in a comforting, warming and deeply gratifying meal.

Onion Soup au Gratin

Active time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Total time: about 4 hours

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 large yellow onions, about 3 pounds, halved and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dry white wine, divided

1/2 cup sherry

5 cups beef stock (or chicken stock)

4 thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen string

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 baguette, sliced 3/4 inch thick

Olive oil, to coat bread slices

8 ounces coarsely grated Gruyere cheese, or more as needed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with lid over medium heat. Add the onions and salt, and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook 1 hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions and any collected brown bits on sides and bottom of pot. Partially cover the pot and return to the oven. Cook until the onions are soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, checking and stirring the browned bits after 1 hour. (There will be a lot of liquid in the pot at this point.)

Remove the pot from the oven and transfer to the stovetop. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until the liquid evaporates and the onions turn brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot. Continue cooking to allow a crust to form on the bottom of the pan without burning, about 5 more minutes.

Add 1/4 cup white wine to deglaze the pan and loosen the crust. Continue cooking until the wine evaporates and another crust begins to form, 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze a second time with the remaining 1/4 cup wine. The onions should be dark brown at this point.

Add the sherry and cook, stirring, until the sherry evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom and sides of the pot, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard the thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup simmers, make the croutons. Reheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush the baguette bread slices with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Divide the soup evenly between 4 to 5 ovenproof bowls or crocks arranged on a baking tray. Gently lay the croutons in one layer over the soup to cover as much of the surface as possible. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the croutons to cover, adding more cheese if needed. Transfer to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

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"Shakshuka" is a traditional Tunisian breakfast composed of simmered tomatoes, peppers, aromatics and poached eggs. It's meant to be spicy, which is a nifty DIY method for keeping cool in the Saharan heat. (The more you sweat, the more you cool off.) As for us, it's a warm meal that screams comfort food, perfect in the dead of winter.

The Tunisians call shakshuka breakfast, but I've added sausage, spinach and chickpeas and prefer to call it dinner. It's delicious as is, served with crusty bread for mopping up the egg yolk and the sauce. For a complete meal, spoon prepared couscous into shallow serving bowls. Make a well in the center of the couscous, and ladle the ragout and egg into the center of the couscous.

Prepare this in a deep 10-inch skillet and serve family-style at the table. If you have individual skillets (pictured), then prepare the ragout in one large skillet or pot. Before you add the eggs, divide the ragout between individual skillets placed on the stovetop over medium heat, and add one egg to each skillet. Chard or kale leaves may be substituted for the spinach.

Sausage Tomato Ragout With Poached Eggs and Chickpeas

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 pound hot Italian or chorizo sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 2 teaspoons harissa or hot sauce, to taste

1 bunch spinach, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

4 to 6 large eggs

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard the oil from the pan, but do not rinse out the skillet.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the onion to the skillet and saute over medium heat until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits. Add the garlic, paprika and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return the sausage to the pan and add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt and harissa. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. If more heat is desired, add more harissa or hot sauce to taste.

Simmer the ragout, partially covered, over medium-low heat, to slightly thicken and allow the flavors to develop, about 20 minutes, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in the spinach and cook until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.

Make an indentation or well in the ragout with a spoon. Crack 1 egg in a small bowl and gently slide the egg into the indentation. Repeat with the remaining eggs, taking care to not overlap the eggs. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain runny, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Remove from heat. Serve family style or spoon the ragout with 1 egg into individual serving bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

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It perplexes me when the subject of cheese fondue comes up, and it's often accompanied by a smile and a reference to the '70s. This quintessential alpine dish should not be relegated to that bygone era evoking images of shag rugs, shaggier hair and textured bell-bottoms. This was certainly not intended when the rural inhabitants of Swiss and French mountainous villages devised a warming winter dish incorporating their local cheese and winter staples.

Switzerland will always be considered home to our family. I lived there for 10 years following my stint at cooking school in Paris. My husband and I were married in Switzerland, and our children were born there. As an expat in Geneva, it was a delicious pleasure to embrace Swiss specialties, namely cheese, which we enjoyed in all of its forms. The Swiss tradition of melting cheese in deep pots with wine and spirits quickly became a family favorite. When we eventually moved away from Switzerland, I became more reliant on making my own version of fondue for wintry family dinners to satisfy our cravings.

This recipe has been tweaked and fine-tuned over the years, influenced by taste and available ingredients. In addition to serving it with the usual bread, I like to pass around bowls of parboiled baby potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli florets for dipping. Do not skimp on the cheese. Purchase the best-quality, cave-aged Swiss or French alpine cheese you can find, such as Gruyere, Emmental, Comte or Beaufort, and feel free to blend them to your taste. I like to use a blend of two-thirds Gruyere to one-third Emmental.

Alpine Cheese Fondue

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

1/4 cup Calvados or Poire Williams brandy

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for serving

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 pounds alpine cheese, such as Gruyere and Emmental, coarsely grated

1 loaf country style or sourdough bread, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

(Note: Have all of your ingredients ready before you begin. Once you start, the fondue will come together quickly, and during this time it must be constantly stirred. The fondue must not come to a boil during this time.)

Whisk the brandy, cornstarch, salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the nutmeg in a small bowl, until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the wine and garlic in a large heavy saucepan or fondue pot. Heat over medium until tiny bubbles form, giving the wine a fizzy appearance without bringing to a boil. Add the cheese one handful at a time, stirring constantly, until each handful is melted before adding the next -- do not let the fondue boil.

Once the cheese is added, continue stirring 1 minute -- do not let the fondue boil.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring until it thickens to a fondue consistency. (Some cornstarch brands thicken more easily than others. If your fondue remains thin, whisk 1 more tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons white wine and stir into the cheese.)

When the fondue is ready, remove from the heat. Pour cheese into a warm fondue pot if necessary and place over a fondue burner. Serve immediately with extra ground pepper, the bread, and parboiled vegetables such as small potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli florets.

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