Bocuse, Banchet . . . Bob Hope

Palm Springs is a long way from Lyon, France, where Bernard Dervieux was born, but no matter. Thanks to him and his wife, French cooking is alive and exceedingly well in the desert.

Dervieux has honed his basic cooking skills since he was 13 years old, working first in a charcuterie, then with Paul Bocuse and Roger Verge at their restaurants, and then with Jean Banchet at Le Francais near Chicago. Finally, he was named executive chef of the Grand Champions Hotel in Indian Wells.

Now he’s opened Cuistot, his own unpretentious restaurant. Located in a storefront, it’s bistro-like in its comfortable simplicity. But don’t let the decor mislead you; the recipes that follow illustrate both the sophistication and the diversity of the menu, which also includes mouthwatering crab cakes with tomato sauce, cured salmon, Chinese-style duck in black currant and apricot sauce and lobster raviolis in truffle sauce.

Cuistot’s dishes are not the classics that Dervieux learned in his early training, but are updated and lighter. His food is completely appropriate for today’s tastes.

Cuistot Restaurant, 73-111 El Paseo, Palm Desert. (619) 340-1000.

Here, grilled salmon is topped with a sweet-tart vinaigrette, a most delicious combination. The salmon is served hot at the restaurant but it is also excellent served chilled. A firm Bosc pear can be substituted for the Asian pear if it’s unavailable.

CUISTOT’S GRILLED SALMON WITH ASIAN PEAR AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

1 Asian pear (Nashi), peeled and diced 1/4 inch

1 medium tomato, outer shell only, diced 1/4 inch

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

3 tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Salt, pepper

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks

1 tablespoon olive oil

In small bowl, combine diced pear and tomato with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, basil leaves, red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Season to taste with pepper. Let stand at room temperature at least 1/2 hour, up to 3 hours.

Wash salmon steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of fish with olive oil.

Lightly coat grill with non-stick cooking spray. Heat grill until very hot.

Add fish, flesh side down. For attractive grill markings, use large spatula to move fish 1/2 turn when first grill marks have set. Turn fish over when marks have set. Continue to grill to preferred doneness. Do not overcook.

Before serving, stir pear vinaigrette and adjust seasonings to taste. Place small amount on plate and arrange fish on top. Spoon over more pear vinaigrette. Serve immediately, or at room temperature or chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

454 calories; 371 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 39 grams protein; 0.2 gram fiber; 48% calories from fat.

Fresh-tasting and light, this pasta dish shows the French touch with a last-minute swirl of butter before the pasta is added. When tomatoes are tasteless, add the tomato paste as indicated. This is an appetizer portion at Cuistot but it’s sufficient for an informal supper preceded by a mixed green salad. This pasta recipe is do-ahead: the pasta can be cooked very al dente in advance, rinsed in cold water, tossed with one teaspoon of oil and refrigerated. Before reheating in the sauce, place it in a colander under warm running water to separate the bow ties. The sauce can be started several hours ahead and quickly finished at serving time.

FARFALLA PASTA WITH TOMATOES AND FRESH BASIL

3/4 to 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste, optional

1 1/3 cups peeled, juiced and seeded, ripe firm plum tomatoes, diced 1/3 inch

Imported Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

8 ounces farfalla (bow-tie pasta), cooked very al dente

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Combine 3/4 cup chicken stock and tomato paste in 12-inch non-stick skillet. Place over medium-high heat, stirring to blend. Add tomatoes and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Stir in butter until melted. Add pasta and more stock as needed to make scant amount of sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes, tossing gently. Sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately in heated pasta dishes. Pass additional Parmesan cheese separately. Makes 4 main-course servings.

Each serving, without cheese, contains about:

295 calories; 415 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0.56 gram fiber; 24% calories from fat.

Typically, this classic dessert is served in the best restaurants in France; it includes a puff of cooked, soft meringue blanketed with almonds sitting atop a vanilla custard sauce, all enhanced by crackling caramel. This is an excellent version with the contrasting textures of the almonds and caramel brittle on the soft meringue. It’s a do-ahead except for the caramel; any guest who savors good food will be impressed with this last-minute effort, which appears much more difficult than it actually is.

FLOATING ISLAND WITH ALMONDS AND CARAMEL

8 large eggs, separated

Sugar

1 quart milk

1 (2-inch) vanilla bean, split down center

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 tablespoon water

Combine egg yolks and 1 1/4 cups sugar in 2-quart bowl. Whip until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Heat milk and split vanilla bean in heavy 2-quart saucepan until boiling. Remove from heat before it boils over. Slowly whisk milk into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking to bottom of pan. Cook until mixture coats back of wooden spoon, about 12 minutes. Quickly pour mixture back into mixing bowl. Whisk well. Stir in vanilla. Cool over bowl of ice or in refrigerator. Can be made day ahead, covered airtight and refrigerated. Remove vanilla bean before serving.

For meringues, fill 2 (10-inch) skillets with water. Heat until water is hot, just short of boiling. Keep water at this temperature.

Whip egg whites with lemon juice until slightly thickened. Slowly add 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, continuing to whip until whites hold shape and are shiny but not runny. Use 12-ounce ladle or dry measuring cup to make 4 huge meringue mounds, placing 2 meringues on hot water in each skillet. Heat until small bubbles appear on bottom of skillet. Keeping skillets on burner, turn off heat. Leave meringues in skillets 10 minutes. Using spatula, gently turn meringues over. Let stand another 10 minutes. Do not turn on heat.

Using spatula, carefully transfer meringues from water to wire rack set on jellyroll pan (this allows moisture from meringues to accumulate in pan). Chill several hours until cold.

Just before serving, place chilled meringues on 4 chilled shallow soup plates. Divide cold custard sauce, pouring around meringues. Sprinkle with almonds, placing most on meringue, some on custard. Place near stove while preparing caramel.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water in small heavy saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until medium caramel color, about 5 minutes. Quickly and carefully pour very hot caramel over almonds and meringues, dividing evenly. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

795 calories; 241 mg sodium; 563 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 122 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.4 gram fiber; 29% calories from fat.