European

Don't let a cloudless sky stop you from enjoying a white Christmas. Create your own by whirring hot milk in a blender until it's as light as freshly fallen snow. The creamy froth blankets strong, dark coffee for a special morning brew.

Crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, this pork tenderloin gets sultry flavor from smoked paprika, almonds, and Madeira.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez's grandmother used to serve tender green beans tossed with mashed potatoes—so this is straight from Nonna's kitchen.

Like Jell-O, but all grown up, these tart little puddings have a bracing fruitiness that is just what's needed after a sumptuous holiday spread. The scarlet juices of pomegranates, lingonberries, and raspberries are bound into a very soft gelée.

Shake up your casserole rotation with a Greek pastitsio. Layers of ziti, meaty tomato sauce fragrant with spices, and silky béchamel come together in this deeply satisfying yet simple meal.

So easy! We couldn’t believe something this sweet and luscious made our healthy holiday dessert list.

One of the great things about a trifle is that you make it ahead of time, so the cake can soak up the flavors of the custard, fruit, and syrup. It’s a perfect holiday dessert.

Luke Ostrom is a great cook. We've worked together for a long time; we've spent long nights drinking and talking food; we even traveled through Italy together. He knows his stuff, no doubt. So when he tells me we should try something, I usually listen. But when he started going on about orzo in our opening-menu-planning sessions, I was less than enthusiastic. He loved it when he was a kid, he said. It was so soul-satisfying and delicious, he said. It would make a great side dish on our menu, he said. But I wasn't buying it. I thought orzo was the kind of comfort food you fed to children and invalids: too bland, too soft, too ... boring. Boy, was I wrong. Luke's take on orzo can definitely qualify as comfort food: it's hearty, warm, and delicious, the kind of thing you can't stop eating. But it's also grown-up and complex: the wild mushrooms give it a rich earthiness, and the orzo has a great mouth-feel. It's sort of like the mushroom risotto of your dreams—only it's way easier. It's a great match with poultry or meat; but as far as I'm concerned, ain't nothing wrong with sitting down to a big heaping bowlful of this stuff all on its own, topped with a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

A life of piety and chastity has to call for something sensual occasionally. Yes, you can enjoy the seductive chocolate flavor and thick creaminess of this Italian hot chocolate without fearing the loss of other worldly pleasures, but this confection is sure to elicit a moan from all who partake. Drinking any of the great Italian-style hot chocolates is almost a religious experience. Over and over again, people who taste this drink for the first time say, "Oh, my God." Is that enough encouragement to give this one a try? Don't overlook the importance of the orange zest or the arrowroot. The oil from the zest gives the chocolate a fresh kick, and the arrowroot thickens the mixture.

In order to be kosher when served with meat, the risotto in these cakes is dairy-free. It gets its creaminess exclusively from the starchy rice, so it's important to cook it slowly, stirring continuously, to release as much starch as possible. If you don't need to avoid dairy, you could replace half the vegetable oil with melted unsalted butter and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with the mushrooms and thyme for extra flavor.

Every year, I make homemade fruitcakes for friends and family. I bake the dense pound cakes studded with dried fruits months in advance, then wrap them in muslin. These cookies are similar to my fruitcakes—only they’ll take you a lot less time. For a fun presentation, the cookies are baked in bonbon-size baking cups.

A vegetarian spin on rillettes, the rich, creamy pàté traditionally made with duck or pork.

Serve this elegant Euro-style treat with a sweet late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Luscious and satisfying—a little goes a long way. Make the gratin up to one day ahead. Before serving, cut it into pieces and rewarm in the oven.

Meet the latke's larger, Swiss cousin: the Rösti. This recipe makes two giant potato cakes; if you want to serve them at the same time, you’ll need to use two skillets (heavy ones produce the crispest results).

Be sure to use whole milk and whisk the batter by hand (overbeating with an electric mixer may prevent the puddings from puffing and rising).

A big, beautiful soufflé with a festive chestnut flavor. You’ll need to bake the dessert right before serving, but you can make the soufflé base (minus the egg whites) two hours ahead, then fold in the whites up to one hour before baking.

This recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. Though sangria is typically made in larger batches, Freeman demonstrates that it can also be concocted right in the glass for a single serving. When it comes to ingredients, he eschews the fancy add-ons found in many recipes, instead sticking to a simple formula of Spanish wine (ideally a young Rioja), Spanish brandy, and lemon juice. If you prefer, sugar can be added to taste, and different light red wines, citrus juices, and brandies substituted.

Try to buy ripe tomatoes or let them ripen in a paper bag with an apple for two days.

For the perfect ending, a not-too-sweet gelato is drizzled with limoncello, a lemon liqueur from Italy. Round out dessert with purchased cookies.