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Here's a fresh take on the classic combination of fruit and cheese. Placing parchment on top of the pears as they are poaching helps keep them moist and submerged in the poaching liquid.

Top this with dollops of chilled whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Make this at least one day and up to two days ahead for best flavor. This is a much simplified version of the classic smoked meat and bean cassoulet.

We liked this particular recipe with Lindt or Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, which is around 50 percent cocoa solids. We tested the ganache with chocolate containing a higher percentage, and found the flavor too intense and the consistency less velvety. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

Gay Koenemann of Bonn, Germany, had dinner at 300 East Boulevard on a recent trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. There he was treated to the most exquisite salad he'd ever had. Although the restaurant calls it Fall Salad on the menu, it's enjoyable year-round. Dried cranberries would make a good alternative to the dried cherries.

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

David Leite's neighbor, Danny Pring, insists that the goose be served with red currant jelly.

Serve with: Orzo with parsley, and steamed carrots and green beans. Dessert: Pear tart.

"My profession as a real estate agent requires a lot of my time," writes Edi Meadows Morrissette of Westin, Florida, "so it helps that I am lightning-fast in the kitchen. I cook every day, and on the weekends I sometimes make three meals a day. I accomplish that by following my main cooking principles: (1) do a lot of prep work, and (2) keep the kitchen well stocked. For example, at holiday time I might chop onions in advance or bake bread the day before company arrives. And since I converted the bedroom next to my kitchen into a pantry for extra storage, I know I'll always have the right ingredients at my fingertips." Use crusty French bread or the roasted garlic cheese toasts to soak up the fennel-flavored juices.

White and red wines go equally well with pork. A lightly oaked Chardonnay and a fruity Merlot would be nice.

A soy-sake marinade is the base for a delicious reduction sauce. For convenience, begin this one day ahead and refrigerate the steak in its marinade overnight.

Hazelnuts and prosciutto are combined in a seasoned butter that coats the turkey as it roasts, and also flavors the gravy.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Tracey Medeiros of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "I'm a food stylist and recipe developer — and passionate about my job. My husband is also a major foodie. We usually cook at home three nights a week, depending on our schedules. Even after cooking all day, I don't mind coming home and cooking some more. I still find it a calming experience." You could also dress up breakfast by spooning these peaches over waffles.

At Aux Truffes, the poached pears are brushed with a sabayon-like mixture and then broiled. This version is much simpler to prepare and just as pretty and delicious.

Chef Tory McPhail writes: "I was 19 years old and just out of culinary school when I first started at Commander's Palace. Despite my training, nothing prepared me for the pressures of working in a fast-paced kitchen, or in a restaurant of such high quality. I think my success came down to sheer effort and a lifelong passion for cooking. Even as a kid I loved playing with cookie and pie dough. "After a seven-year absence, which I spent working abroad and opening a new Commander's Palace restaurant in Las Vegas, I came back to New Orleans last year. Since returning I've enjoyed cooking for my friends. On the weekends we'll go fishing, and then I'll grill our catch and serve it along with a fresh salad. That meal combines the two best things about living in the South — lots of fishing and great fresh produce."

Brandy, apples and cream add a taste of France's Normandy region to this entrée.

A beautiful dessert that's just right for the season. Begin making it at least three hours and up to one day ahead. What to drink: Marsala or Asti.