Dried Fruit

The cranberries add tartness, color and texture. Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if you like.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

So good — and no cooking required. Prepare the relish at least a day ahead, and add more cardamom before serving if you'd like a stronger flavor.

Serve this on its own, or use it for chalupas, tacos, or nachos.

This slaw would pair nicely with grilled chicken breasts or roasted chicken.

What to drink: Offer robust French roast coffee, but also a vintage or ruby Port.

Minus the ice cream, this delicate pudding makes a wonderfully indulgent breakfast.

Nuts, lemon juice, and fresh herbs punch up this terrific side dish.

Hoisin sauce is sold at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

These are great with maple syrup, honey, marmalade, or even cottage cheese.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

Traditional recipes for mole poblano call for several varieties of dried chilies, which, outside the Southwest, are available only at specialty foods stores or by mail order; as well as sesame seeds and/or pumpkin seeds and/or peanuts; roasted tomatoes; and chocolate; among other things. A mole can sound like a peculiar combination of ingredients, but at its best it is every bit as subtle and well balanced as the most evolved French sauce. Our quick version uses only ingredients available at the supermarket, and broiled, not fried, chicken, which makes the dish easier to prepare, lighter, and most important, still delicious---if not exactly authentic.

Multi-grain breads can vary widely in density. As a result, the 10 cups diced bread called for below may weigh a little more or less than 1 pound. We preferred a light-textured seven-grain bread for this stuffing.

Mary Tuohy, a Cappagh, County Tyrone, native who now lives in Redbank, New Jersey, has been making this raisin tea cake for so long that she can almost do it from memory. She says, "I can't remember where the recipe came from, but we used to bake it over an open turf fire back home. It came to me on a piece of dilapidated paper, which I still have." It's a very moist cake, she says, nearly foolproof. "You can't go wrong with it."

Brandied whipped cream adds the perfect finishing touch to this moist, luscious cake. Leftovers are terrific with coffee the next day.

Sophistication in a snap. Purchased puff pastry takes most of the work out of making this beautiful tart.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.