Herbs & Spices

Moonlight-and-magnolia myths aside, this is one of the world's great libations.

What gives this thick, voluptuous soup its deep-golden flavor and aroma is toasted dried summer-sweet Cope's corn. Chef Linton Hopkins embellishes the soup with tender, briny shrimp and foresty mushrooms, but it would also be delicious with crabmeat or bacon & or with nothing at all to distract you from its mysterious, soul-satisfying essence.

Potato pancakes get a makeover, and so do you! These have lots of vitamin A, which will help keep your skin healthy for the holidays.

Bubbly with benefits? Ginger may help prevent cancer by halting abnormal cell growth. (We'll take two!)

We heart this dish. Pomegranate may protect your arteries against LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

These rich nibbles only taste decadent. Soft goat cheese is naturally lower in fat.

Instead of being baked in one large dish, this version of the traditional Latin dessert is made in individual ramekins.

Confiture is the sweet version of confit, in which sugar acts as the preservative.

Mix in sautéed 1/2-inch cubes of butternut squash, if you like.

If you're stopping at a Greek market for ingredients, grab some butter cookies.

Pastourma (also spelled basturma) is seasoned, cured beef.

Brown sugar and molasses are balanced by fresh ginger and jalapeños.

The intensity of the garlic is balanced by the freshness of the parsley.

Purchased biscuit dough makes these dessert dumplings a snap to make.

You can also roast asparagus alongside. Toss the trimmed spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a separate rimmed baking sheet.

When a meat is "potted," it's usually preserved beneath a layer of fat or made into a paste such as shrimp paste or deviled ham. Miss Lewis, however, merely cooked the birds in an iron pot on the stove. She gives the option of roasting in the oven, and that's what we did because it plays up the contrast between the rich, tender, moist dark meat and the crisp skin. Miss Lewis would never waste any part of such a luxurious bird, so she chops up the livers and adds them to the bread stuffing, which may look unprepossessing but is actually delicious. This is a simple, elegant meal, so treat yourself to a wonderful Bordeaux.

Wilted radicchio and spinach are a nice match for spicy red pepper flakes and smoky, salty bacon. Treviso—with its not-too-tough (but also not-too-tender) leaves—is the best choice for this recipe if you can find it.