Dried Fruit

This fruit keeps for several days in the refrigerator and is delicious for breakfast, too. Any dried fruit works well.

The following recipe comes from my mother's home economics class in Louisiana back in the 1940's. I hope your readers enjoy the muffins as much as I do.

This is an updated version of the chremslach passed down in my own family. I have never had a seder without it. A heavier version stuffed with cranberries appeared in many early American Jewish cookbooks as Kentucky grimslech.

Fresh herbs and pancetta (Italian cured bacon) blanket the pork before it goes into the oven. Ask the butcher to tie the two loins to hold their shape. Begin marinating the meat one day before serving. What to drink: Open a few bottles of spicy Zinfandel or hearty Bordeaux to place on the buffet table.

"My husband isn't usually a bread pudding fan," writes Priscilla Moynihan of Vancouver, Washington, "but he loved the dried-cherry version I had at the Southpark Seafood Grill in Portland, Oregon. In fact, after he helped me finish it, we ordered another one." The restaurant prepares this dessert with house-made brioche. We simplified the recipe by using purchased challah.

Great served warm or at room temperature, this moist, delicious steamed bread can be made in a single loaf pan or in two empty, clean 28-ounce food cans. Offer softened butter or cream cheese alongside.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Tuscan sweets tend to be simple and rustic, like this deliciously buttery, moist cake, similar in texture to marzipan. What to drink: Tuscany's famous Vin Santo, a dessert wine made from raisined grapes.

Broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, looks like green cauliflower and has a milder flavor than broccoli.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A great way to make a different and light meal with leftover lamb.

"I was 11 years old when I started receiving Gourmet magazine," says Kristi Tursi of Essex Junction, Vermont. "I am now 15, and I’m happy to say that I've tried at least one recipe from each issue. I love to experiment with new combinations of unusual foods. Maybe that is because I enjoy science and chemistry, or perhaps I just love eating delicious yummies! But this year, on my mom's birthday, I tried something cool: cherry chocolate chippers. These cookies are not as dramatic as my chicken mango tango, but they're quite a treat. Everyone at the party liked them so much that I spent part of the evening jotting down the recipe. So I decided to share it with everyone ... by way of Gourmet."

An effortless way to elevate basic bread pudding is to substitute croissants for day-old bread. To keep down the cost of this luxurious-tasting dessert, check the better bakeries in your area — many sell day-old croissants at half-price.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.