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Light and fresh, this pasta dish is brightened with a squeeze of lemon juice. A V-slicer is the ideal tool for thinly slicing the fennel. For an even healthier option, try using whole wheat pasta.

It does not get cozier than this hearty dish. Yes, you’ll make your own gnocchi. And yes, it’s totally worth the effort.

Use leftover ham or good-quality ham from the deli counter in this dish.

If you prefer, serve the short ribs for dinner with polenta, then use the leftovers to make a few sandwiches.

Bison (a.k.a. buffalo) is available at some natural foods stores, specialty foods stores, and farmers' markets.

Be sure to pick up a few extra bottles of hard apple cider to serve along with the stew.

A restaurant-worthy dessert: Oval-shaped scoops of decadent chocolate mousse and tangy whipped crème fraîche are served atop a puddle of Port-spiked ganache.

The centers of these soufflés are soft and mousse-like. The topping takes its flavor cues (honey, nuts) from nougat candy.

Scotch bonnets, along with the closely related (and equally potent) Jamaican hots and habaneros, are small, fiery-hot chiles that are irregularly shaped and range in color from yellow to orange to red. Use gloves when handling Scotch bonnets to prevent irritation, and be sure not to inadvertently rub your eyes or face.

Cassoulet is a robust meal, filled with cured and smoked meats and sausages, baked in a stew of beans until a rich crust forms. According to tradition, the cook repeatedly breaks the crust and pushes it down into the stew.

A flavorful dish from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Massachusetts.

Spaghetti and meatballs get spiced up with a classic Italian sauce. All'amatriciana hails from Amatrice, a town northeast of Rome. Classic all'amatriciana sauce is made from tomatoes, guanciale (salt-cured pig's jowl), and hot peppers. Here, bacon stands in for the guanciale.

Cooking the bread pudding in a loaf pan gives it a modern, bakery-style look. For a more decadent dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream.

Brown Betty recipes started showing up in the late 1800s, although nobody is sure who "Betty" was. Traditionally, a brown Betty is made with apples, breadcrumbs, and spices. In this updated version, pears stand in for the apples and the breadcrumbs are enriched with almonds. Keep in mind that this dessert is best eaten the day it's made (but any leftovers would be nice for breakfast).

This delicious treat is a cross between butterscotch pudding and pecan pie.

For leftovers of this classic seafood stew, increase the recipe by half.

These individual desserts feature layers of tender spiced chiffon muffins; a mix of caramelized apples, pears, and cranberries; and a rich custard laced with apple brandy. To show off the pretty layers, assemble the trifles in clear bowls or dessert glasses. Enjoy the extra muffin for breakfast the next day.