European

Chocolate syrup and mini chocolate chips pack in the flavor for these tender, pecan-accented cookies. They're great with a cup of espresso or regular coffee.

The preparation of most hot butter sauces has as its object the relatively permanent and smooth blending together of ingredients. The grand-daddy of these sauces is Hollandaise. Here is the classic.

The heat of the cooked spaghetti wilts the mixed greens in this lemony warm pasta salad. Dry Monterey Jack is an aged Jack cheese similar to Parmesan.

(MADELEINES) While researching this book, I became fixated, absolutely fanatical, about madeleines, the plump golden tea cakes shaped like scallop shells. They were something to boost my spirits on the days when I walked for miles sleuthing in search of culinary jewels. I tasted dozens of madeleines, but only a few were "just right." The best, freshest madeleine has a dry, almost dusty taste when eaten on its own. One of my favorite versions is made by André Lerch, an Alsatian baker with a bread and pastry shop on the Left Bank. To be truly appreciated — to "invade the senses with exquisite pleasure" as they did for Marcel Proust — Madeleines must be dipped in tea, ideally the slightly lime-flavoured tilleul, which releases the fragrant, flavorful lemon essence of the little tea cake. Special madeleine tins can be found in all the French restaurant supply shops and in the housewares section of department stores. The following is a recipe I developed.

Roasted pork loin, which is commonly served on special occasions in Denmark, is here richly flavored with cardamom, juniper berries and currant jelly. Ask the butcher to cut into the chine bone of the rib roast to make it easier to carve. Note that the pork needs to marinate at least 12 hours before roasting, so plan accordingly. Uncork a fruity Merlot to go with it.

Inspired by a trip to Scotland, where some cooks make their Christmas pudding and hard sauce with their favorite Scotch.

This zippy pasta features the best of Italy accented with Mexican serrano chilies. A Zinfandel or Italian Barolo is the right wine.

"The last time I was in Texas, where I'm from originally, I had dinner at Zuni Grill on the San Antonio Riverwalk. I felt right at home when I took a bite of the pecans in the clever, southern-style crème brûlée," says Linda M. Dunn of Sparks, Nevada."I'd like to try making it at home." Toasted pecans are sprinkled over the crème brûlée after the sugar is caramelized so that the nuts don't burn. Note that the custards can be prepared two days ahead of time. Caramelize the sugar on top of the custards up to two hours before serving, if you like.

Pitted prunes replace the more customary mushrooms in this delicious variation.

NORMANDY In Normandy, this richly flavored stew would be served with a composed salad of watercress, shallots, and roasted beets. What to drink: Muscadet, Chablis, or unoaked Chardonnay.

(Panzanella) In Tuscany, leftover bread is put to many uses: It stars in all kinds of recipes, from appetizers like crostini and fettunta (the Tuscan term for bruschetta) to soups like ribollita and pappa al pomodoro. Stale bread even appears in salads; this one is called panzanella, which comes from the word pantanella, meaning "little swamp." Although the name is unfortunate, it is appropriate: The chunks of bread are first soaked in water, then mixed with the rest of the salad, where they sop up the zesty vinaigrette. There are several versions of panzanella, but no matter how the salad is made, the bread should be a few days old and coarse in texture. Sometimes wheat bread is used, but the salad is better with white.

Caldo Verde This soup may be made with regular kale, but lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale, cavolo nero, and black kale) has an artichoke-like sweetness that's so flavorful, we even loved the soup without the chorizo.

This rich and comforting pudding is served at the floating restaurant Fregatten Sct. Georg III in Tivoli Gardens.

The ultimate Danish holiday dish from chef Torben Jensen of Gråbrødre Torv 21 restaurant.

A popular entrée in Tuscany, and throughout Italy. Our quick version would go well with tagliatelle with herbed tomato sauce and steamed baby zucchini. Offer biscotti and Vin Santo (Tuscan dessert wine) afterward.