Apple Cider

An easy homemade barbecue sauce makes anything you grill taste even better! Makes lots since it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

Potsticker wrappers are a quick substitute for the homemade dough used at the Chelsea Grill.

The gravy is a refined, delicious sauce in this duo from Barbara Shinn and David Page, co-owners of Home restaurant in New York and co-authors of Recipes from Home.

Apples and apple cider lend a pleasant sweetness to this beautiful soup.

If you don't have a spice mill, you can crush the whole spices in a heavy plastic bag, then grind them finely in the blender.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is a yummy one-pot entrée from The Elements of Taste, by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky. The secret here is browning the meat.

Apple ice wine gets its particular sweetness and deep golden color from frozen apples: The presence of water crystals during pressing increases the sugar content of the resulting wine. Canada produces more ice wine per year than any other country. Sophisticated-looking and intensely apple-flavored, this seasonal dessert is delicious on its own or as a complement to the maple walnut bûche de Noël. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

Pork, always a favorite in the Midwest and the South, gained popularity early in the century. Immigrants from pork-loving countries such as Germany and Poland were crowding the cities and finding that fresh pork, a luxury back home, was abundant and affordable. Recipes of the time called for pan-frying chops, covering them with apples and baking them for an hour or so. But that would leave today’s pork, which is less fatty, very dry. Here, brining is the trick for making pork chops flavorful and juicy.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Last year I spent the holidays in Arizona with my aunt and uncle, who took me to a restaurant in Scottsdale called CREW," writes Lisa C. Holley of Washington, D.C. "I loved the goat cheese and mixed-green salad with candied nuts, and have looked for similar recipes on-line. I haven't found anything nearly as good." The candied almonds in this recipe are also delicious as a snack on their own—or sprinkled over ice cream.