European

Eel can be a tough sell, until you have tried it. In Italy, however, it appears in a magnificent and succulent dish on almost every table during Christmas week, particularly on La Vigilia, Christmas Eve, when it is perhaps the most traditional dish of all. The many fish dishes served that night.

Cooking cruciferous vegetables without boiling them, as in this recipe, seems to make them more fragrant and heady—just the way the robust Romans like their food.

A light sauce of white wine and tomatoes lets the seafood shine in this iconic Italian pasta dish.

A simple white wine, garlic, and parsley sauce is all that's needed to complement the fresh shellfish in this Italian pasta dish.

A plate of these sweet bites on the coffee table means only one thing: Christmas week has arrived. I have modified my original recipe to make a softer, wetter dough, which makes these a little less crisp, but the dough is a lot easier to work with.

In Italy, this recipe is a classic holiday dish. For Christmas Eve, it would generally be served at room temperature, as part of a buffet.

There are several secrets to perfect, crisp cannoli: 1). You need the right proportion of filling to shell. In America, cannoli are often too large, with too much filling. These are tiny and delicate, perfect for eating in just a couple of bites. 2). Use high-quality ingredients. Sheep's-milk ricotta is the most traditional, but good fresh cow's-milk ricotta will work fine as well. Be sure to drain it for an hour to avoid watering down the filling. Good-quality candied orange peel is important as well. If you can't find any that's fresh and plump, substitute freshly grated orange zest. 3). Most importantly, don't fill the shells until you're ready to serve them. Both the filling and the shells can be made one day ahead, but to avoid soggy shells, don't pipe the filling into them until the last minute. If you don't have a pastry bag, a one-gallon freezer bag with the end snipped off can be used to pipe the filling.

This recipe calls for a thin, freshly made tomato sauce. Using this sauce will produce the best flavor and texture, but in a pinch you could substitute any plain canned sauce.

Filets de Rouget et Haricots Verts Sauté aux Fruits Secs Highly prized for its firm, mild flesh, red mullet is a darling of French and Mediterranean chefs. Here, it sits on a splendid textural bed of haricots verts, dried apricots, and pine nuts.

These gorgeous, grown-up treats feature crunchy almond cookies, icy coffee granita, and creamy orange ice cream. Amaretti cookies vary in size—you'll need eight to twelve cookies for the parfaits.

Bright, fresh, and vinegary-tart, this is a fun play on Sicilian caponata, a dish made with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and olives. For a twist on the classic, I like to serve slices of eggplant topped with chunky tomato salsa. The dish can be a first course or part of an easy buffet lunch.

A perfect introduction to the allure of chiles, this Italian classic balances the cherry peppers' piquancy with roasted bell peppers, lemon, and parsley. It's a bright, summery dish that you'll hanker for all year long.

Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted with permission from Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round. This recipe originally appeared with Brown's <epi:recipelink id="“350623”">Warm Blackberry Chutney</epi:recipelink>. __ Don't be intimidated by crostini: it's just toast in a tuxedo! This recipe is quick, portable, and requires only a few ingredients. __

Pâté can be found in the deli section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

These saucy shrimp spiked with cinnamon, allspice, and feta quickly disappeared in our test kitchen. Have plenty of bread on hand for sopping up the juices.

The French know how to take the proverbial ham-and-cheese combo and turn it into something special. And this super-satisfying main dish just couldn't be easier.

As convenient as store-bought duck confit is, we find that its quality tends to vary. Making your own allows you to control the spicing and the cooking time to produce a velvety piece of meat. This ancient preservation method has three parts: First you cure the duck legs in salt (drawing out the water in which microorganisms can live), then you slowly cook them in fat, and finally you store them fully covered in the cooking fat so air can't get in.

Traditionally used to season pâtés and terrines, this French spice mixture also adds an earthy depth to the duck confit.

In French bistros, confit duck legs are traditionally served with a very simple, sharply dressed frisée salad. This version of the light meal gilds the lily by switching out frisée for peppery watercress and adding juicy navel oranges and nuggets of toasted walnuts.