Sweet and savory indulgence

Extremely rich foods, from blue cheese to foie gras, fare well with sweet companions that have enough underlying acid to counter the foods' unctuousness. Several kinds of fruit do the job very well ― pear and pineapple, for instance. My favorite for a blowout occasion is firm, orange Fuyu persimmon, served like a slice of the sun with warm foie gras.

Order fresh foie gras several days ahead from an upscale supermarket. And for a simple sauce with rich body, start with a shelf-stable or frozen reduction (demi-glace), also from a well-stocked supermarket.

Once the ingredients are assembled, this first course is easy to engineer. And it's stunning.