Root Vegetable

For an extra special look, pick up a mix of white, red, and purple baby potatoes.

Smoked turkey drumsticks can be found in the meat section of most supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute smoked ham hocks. WHAT TO DRINK: A pale ale with a spicy finish, like Sierra Nevada.

Thai red curry paste adds a spicy punch.

Truffle oil and minced black truffles make this appetizer anything but kid food.

Start preparing this one day before serving — it needs to chill overnight.

This dish is great alongside the Lemony Chicken Milanese .

WHAT TO DRINK: A medium-bodied red with floral aromas and plummy flavors. Try L'Ostal Cazes Circus Shiraz from France's Pays d'Oc ($13).

Sate Sapi<r>
Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from James Oseland's book Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It was originally accompanied by Lemongrass-Shallot Sambal and was part of an article by Oseland on Indonesian cuisine. There are few more dependable sounds in Indonesia than the rhythmic rat-a-tat-tat-tat of satay vendors who roam the streets and alleys of every town and village announcing their presence with a wooden stick rapped against their portable grills. When a customer approaches, the satay men set up their makeshift kitchens—a tiny grill, a basket containing the already skewered meat, a fan to breathe life into the fire—on the spot, grilling skewers of meat to order. The smoky-sweet aroma is irresistible, and, soon neighbors can't help but gather to order some for themselves. This recipe is from Jimi, a West Javanese street vendor with a languid smile. Over the course of three hot nights back in the 1980s, on an extended stay in Bogor, West Java, I watched him grill petite skewers of this delicious satay as he made his rounds. Eventually I worked up the courage to ask him for his recipe, which he gladly shared. Ginger, coriander, and palm sugar (dark brown sugar can be substituted) are the keynote tastes. The tamarind in the marinade acts as a powerful tenderizer, making even very chewy meat tender, so it's important to use a somewhat toothsome piece of beef, such as flank steak or skirt steak. If you start with tender meat, the marinade is likely to make it mushy. For a skewerless satay, try using this marinade for a whole piece of flank steak, then broil the meat as you would for London broil.</r>

Peppadews, small peppers from South Africa, add a briny-sweet note. Look for them in jars or in the deli section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. You can order them from igourmet.com or amazon.com.

The pork and figs need to marinate overnight, so be sure to begin one day ahead.

The duck marinates overnight in a spice rub, so start this recipe one day ahead.

The filling: rich chunks of leftover brasato and vegetables . The topping: mashed parsnips and potatoes.

Brasato (which means "braised" in Italian) is the ultimate pot roast.

Start this early in the day or the night before. Chilling the chicken uncovered for several hours makes the skin crispy when roasted.

Use shaved Parmesan in place of the goat cheese, if you like.

This recipe was created by chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing of the Longbranch in Abita Springs, Louisiana. It's part of a special menu they created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This recipe was created by chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing of the Longbranch in Abita Springs, Louisiana. It's part of a special menu they created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Formaggio Crucolo Fuso con Speck e Patate What makes this dish so exceptional is Crucolo, a semisoft cow's-milk cheese, sweet and creamy like a fresh Asiago, that's made by a single producer in Trentino's Valsugana Valley. The region's speck, which comes from the hind leg of the pig, combines Italian salting and drying techniques with the smoke-curing common in Austria, where speck is more like bacon.