European

If you enjoy spicy food, pass some hot pepper sauce to sprinkle on top of this light, soufflé-like omelet.

Baked in individual ring molds, these little desserts feature caramelized pears, streusel topping and sweetened cream.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Perfect for an elegant dinner party, this sophisticated dessert is a snap to make.

Chef Lionel Lévy uses black olives in this unusual clafoutis but still serves it as a dessert, along with a mâche salad drizzled with lemon-honey vinaigrette. We like that combination in place of an after-dinner cheese course, but we also think it makes an excellent (and surprising) first course.

Serve this with eggs for breakfast, with salad and rolls for lunch, or as a side dish with steak for dinner.

Barm brack is a dark and fruity yeast-raised cake (barm means "yeast"; brack means "speckled"). Tea brack is the much more common baking powder version.

Carote al Marsala For this simple dish to taste extraordinary, you need the best-quality Italian dry Marsala. Others would give a harsh taste or none at all to the dish. I know from experience. If you can't find one, use another braising liquid, such as chicken, meat, or vegetable broth.

Soufflés are a British favorite. This recipe combines pieces of toffee in a creamy soufflé, with chocolate sauce on the side.

(Tomato Cheddar Sauce on Toast) This rendition of Welsh rabbit, popular in early New England, was probably brought to America from Cheshire. Because the recipe substitutes tomatoes for the beer often used, it was considered suitable for children and invalids. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you cannot get turkey breast already packed, buy a whole turkey and use the breasts for this dish and the thighs for Turkey Chili.

Prepare the custards the day before you plan to serve them.

Coffee Semifreddo "Drowned" in Coffee We have served this dessert at Pó for six years and it is consistently my favorite—a kind of adult milkshake. Be careful to use decaf for the bathing liquid, or your guests may be up yakking all night.

In this recipe, two British gastronomic classics are rolled into one: the traditional duo of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and the Christmas dish of spiced beef, a joint of cured meat that is eaten in slivers.

In the following recipe the veal is roasted on top of the stove, a cooking technique that was developed in Italy before home ovens became commonplace. Unlike braising, this method uses only a small amount of liquid and results in meat that is succulent and tender but not falling apart. Pan roasting also renders a delicious caramelized coating and savory pan juices. Surprisingly, the anchovies do not impart a strong fishy flavor but rather add rich depth. Do not salt the meat before browning it, as the anchovies have salt aplenty.

Rum and spices-classic Caribbean ingredients-also happen to be the classic ingredients in the traditional English steamed pudding. This lovely version of the Christmas dessert is from the Grand View Beach Hotel, Villa Point, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Begin preparing it at least one day before serving.