Potato pancakes, perfectly crisped on the outside, are also slightly crunchy on the inside, making for an extra-chewy treat (sour cream and topnotch homemade applesauce helped appease a table of eager diners).

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The dressing, made with mayonnaise and sour cream, gets its pretty pale-green hue and heady fragrance from fresh tarragon, parsley and lots of basil.

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That would have been a feast, produced to the dictates of Delia, Jamie or Heston and probably involving porcini and creme fraiche, the words the English upper-crust use for mushrooms and sour cream.

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Dumont's house are expected to stay for a meal, often what she calls "Indian tacos, " made from deep-fried bread dough, hamburger, sour cream, raw onions, tomatoes and black olives.

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Some less-healthy fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheese are OK, but try to stick with mainly healthy fats such as nuts, peanut butter, olives, olive or canola oil, or avocado.

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So as long as you skip the high-fat toppings such as butter, bacon bits and sour cream, including a baked potato in your diet on occasion is fine.

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At the time-warped Palms Grill Cafe, thick slabs of gooseberry, peach and sour cream raisin tempt from a glass case, while the Andrews Sisters croon from the stereo.

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While the manti steamed, we would make the garlicky yogurt accompaniment, which was eventually replaced by my favorite side dish: a cucumber-radish salad with a generous heap of finely chopped herbs, dressed with sour cream and salt.

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Try the terrine de foie de canard, the herb-crusted loin of lamb and the beguiling desserts, especially the warm apple and walnut purse with sour cream ice cream.

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