Make Ahead

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This granola is delicious topped with fresh fruit (we suggest kiwifruit and pineapple) or on its own, served with milk or yogurt. The recipe makes about 6 cups, so you'll have some left over.

Jars of mixed peppercorns—red, green, white and black—can be found in supermarket spice racks. Uncork a bottle of Zinfandel to go with this simple, great-tasting main course.

We like the flavor that 6 pounds of breast bones and 4 pounds of knuckles bring to this stock.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr In addition to being a great complement to the poached salmon, this mayonnaise is a good pair with shrimp, veal, or poached chicken breasts.

Our food editors were evenly divided concerning which dipping sauce they preferred with the duck salad. Some liked the nuoc cham because of the depth of flavor imparted by the fish sauce; others leaned toward the sweetness and heat of the chile sauce. Make one or both, depending on your taste.

This gratin is particularly welcomed on the holiday table by those who love sweet potatoes and hate marshmallows. The cream and butter make this so delicious your guests will lie in bed and remember it happily all year long. You only serve this kind of dish once in a very long while, so the caloric intake is moderated. If your meal has too many sweet potatoes, see the variation for turnip gratin.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Baked Ham with Mustard-Red Currant Glaze and Rhubarb Chutney .

Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, writes: "I've been a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off three times, so I'm something of an expert at cooking with prepared doughs and bread mixes. Even though these items are simple to use, many people don't venture beyond the package directions. For each contest, I experimented with dozens of recipes, and some of my favorites have been breakfast dishes and desserts. Nowadays I don't enter as many competitions as I used to, but my family still looks forward to my latest creations." Look for cinnamon chips in the supermarket's baking section.

Accompany the shrimp with grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

For convenience, these can be made up to three days ahead.

The vitamin C tablet in this recipe keeps the apple juice from turning brown.