Beverages

Strawberry shortcake meets the ice cream sundae: what a match. The rich and easy-to-make Fudge Sauce called for here is also used in the Chocolate-Hazelnut Waffles.

Here is the perfect present for those who indulge in holiday eggnog — a mixture of spirit and spice to blend into the Christmas beverage. To make the gift complete, pour it into a beautiful bottle and tie a small nutmeg grater and some whole nutmegs around the neck with a festive ribbon.

This recipe calls for both "true" artichokes — known botanically as globe artichokes — and Jerusalem artichokes, which are actually an unrelated root vegetable (sometimes called Sun Chokes). In the soup, the Jerusalem artichokes enhance the flavor of the leafed variety. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Hélène Wagner-Popoff writes, "My husband, Ivan, and I moved to Corsica from Madagascar eleven years ago on a whim. We restored an abandoned convent and saved the thousand-year-old olive grove surrounding it. The fact that I live in the country — with the luxury of having a garden full of wonderful ingredients — makes it easy for me to love cooking. I like to surprise my family and guests with unexpected flavor combinations that don't take a lot of effort."

The ultimate dinner-party dish for a wintry evening, this is robustly flavorful and sophisticated. It's also simple to prepare. Market Tip: Don't buy pork tenderloins that have been pumped with salts and preservatives. Avoid anything that contains 10 percent water solution or phosphates.

Mellowed by brief cooking and wine, this pickled garlic is very mild in flavor. Slice it to add to salads or use as a garnish. Or top off the jar with olive oil, and serve the whole cloves as an appetizer.

Union Square Cafe guests are constantly challenging us to serve salmon in new and different guises, and here's one of the most popular ones we've done to date. Salmon is rich and meaty enough to stand up to the assertive chili rub; the trick to this dish is to cook the salmon gently enough to prevent the spices from burning. At the restaurant, we use New Mexico chili powder, which we prize for its fruity, smoky aroma and mild heat level. Buy it if you see it.

Agnello di Latte Arrosto I always had mixed emotions about this dish as a little girl. Traditionally, it was served at the first meal after Lent, a joyous occasion to which everyone looked forward, including me. Still, there was an element of personal sadness: My pet was being eaten. At Busoler I spent long hours playing in the fields with lambs and young goats, and always found sentiment struggling with appetite at Easter. When the appearance of the first peas of the season coincided with Easter, they'd be shelled and added to the dish at the last moment.

(Gâteau de Pommes Grand-Mère) Sautéing the apples in butter (along with a splash of Calvados) before adding them to the batter lends an extra dimension of richness to this very simple apple cake. Enjoy a wedge with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a welcome afternoon snack with tea.

A beautiful dessert for the December entertaining season.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

This impressive main course is ideal for a healthful dinner party. Serve it with crusty country style bread to soak up the flavorful juices.

Sheila Stein of Woodbury, New York, New York, writes: "We've eaten several times at La Viola of Syosset. Their chicken française is excellent. Could you get the recipe for me?"

Offer this main course with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious saffron broth. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc is good here, too.

Dollops of cinnamon-flavored sour cream top this luscious soup.

If you don't happen to have any day-old corn bread on hand, just follow our recipe — fresh regular corn bread may be too moist. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes making corn bread)

Try the braised escarole with apples and the herbed spaetzle alongside these juicy chops.

The rich, fruity sweetness of a late-harvest Riesling (added to a syrup that is drizzled over the free-form tart) beautifully complements the natural sugars in roasted pears.