Raisin

Carrot cakes have been a part of American baking for years, and they remain a favorite dessert in the heartland. This version has a hint of orange from the juice and peel and lots of the rich cream cheese frosting that everyone expects (and loves). Thin orange peel strips make a pretty garnish.

Nice with duck, Cornish game hens or the Thanksgiving turkey.

"When I lived in South Africa, rum and raisin chocolate bars were a special treat," says Beth Peterson of Phoenix, Arizona. "I created this brownie recipe based on that combination of flavors, and perfected it with the help of friends and colleagues who sampled the brownies at each stage of development. These have a grown-up taste with the right balance of sweetness and rum." Try these warm with vanilla ice cream.

This fluffy Lady Baltimore cake is layered with toasted pecans, dried figs, raisins, and frosted in a thick, luscious Swiss meringue.

Pear wedges are tossed with brown butter (easily made by melting butter, then keeping it on the heat until golden and nutty) for an especially comforting treat.

This stuffing is based on ingredients prevalent throughout the Midwest. Michigan dried cherries are often used to accent dishes in that state, while prunes, raisins and dried currants are often found in many sweet and savory recipes from Ohio and Indiana. Using only three tablespoons of butter for ten servings makes this dish low in fat, too.

Called om Ali, which means "mother of Ali," this slightly sticky and unusual dessert flavored with orange flower water is currently the most popular pudding in Egypt. In the villages it is made with bread, while in the cities a more sophisticated version is made with phyllo pastry. Orange flower water is a flavoring extract available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.

Kari and Brian Chase of St. Paul, Minnesota say that their neighborhood has a great restaurant: 128 Cafe. The last time they were there they tried a delicious appetizer of crisp bread with roasted garlic, goat cheese and apple chutney.

The use of raisins and pine nuts in lightly sweet-and-sour sauces probably came to Sicily from Turkey; these ingredients also turn up in the cooking of Venice, long a commercial gateway to Turkey and the East, but less commonly in the anchovy-and-tomato sauces that are so fundamental to the Sicilian kitchen. Note that the zucchini in this dish is cooked rather soft, in the traditional Italian manner; if you want a more contemporary crisp product, add the zucchini toward the end for a quick cooking in the thickened sauce.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

This chutney is well worth the 1-month wait it takes for the spices to mellow. Try it with grilled shrimp or fish, or on grilled chicken or cheese sandwiches. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 31/2 hr (plus 1 month for flavors to develop)

Couscous is easy to cook—just add it to boiling water, remove it from the heat, and let it stand for a few minutes until the water is absorbed. The addition of cinnamon, lemon peel, garbanzo beans and golden raisins gives this side dish a Mediterranean flair.