Bon Appétit

The coffee and toffee flavors of this crunchy dessert are heightened by the dark brown sugar and espresso powder. This version is an adaptation of Leah Reich’s recipe, which was a variation on her grandmother’s recipe.

The peppery watercress and tangy onion are balanced by the sweet richness of the braised figs. It takes eight hours to pickle the onion, so be sure to plan ahead.

Roasted root vegetables and spicy greens complete the meal.

The tall, crisped "chips" look striking when bunched in a tumbler, and they're terrific with cocktails. Roasting the leaves coaxes out a nutty, briny flavor that's kind of addictive.

Sweet-and-spicy hoisin sauce is available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Who needs meat? The cumin-scented black bean filling is hearty, satisfying, and incredibly easy to prepare. Round out the meal—and get a complete protein—by adding Mexican rice.

In a surprising twist, Tuscan kale is served raw—and makes for a substantial and satisfying winter salad. Be sure to choose bunches of Tuscan kale with small leaves, which are more tender.

Chimichurri, the traditional accompaniment for steak in Argentina, is an olive oil-based sauce with vinegar, parsley, and other seasonings. In Argentina, cattle are grass-fed, and the vinegary relish complements the herbal beef beautifully. The meat is very lean, so it's best rare.

A dacquoise is a French dessert made by layering nut-flavored meringues with whipped cream. In this version, cocoa nib meringues are layered with chocolate chiffon cake, mascarpone whipped cream, and blood orange marmalade, then covered in a rich chocolate glaze.

Lapsang souchong, the variety of tea called for in this recipe, is made by smoking tea leaves over a cypress or pine wood fire. Steeping the tea in the milk mixture gives the dessert a subtle smokiness. Find Lapsang souchong at tea shops, specialty foods stores, and online at englishteastore.com. If you don't care for the taste of smoked tea, use Earl Grey instead.

Most recipes for steamed mussels call for crusty bread on the side. Here, slices of bread are baked right on top of the mussels. To be sure everyone can enjoy the delicious juices in the bottom of the pans, serve this entrée straight from the cast-iron skillets (use trivets to protect the table).

Forget the box of chocolates this year. Instead, make your loved one swoon with a bottle of this chocolate liqueur. Be sure to get started at least three weeks ahead so that the flavors have time to meld. Any leftover liqueur would be terrific stirred into coffee or hot chocolate.

Blood oranges are small, sweet, nearly seedless oranges with vivid bright red flesh. They have a slightly floral flavor with berry undertones. Blood oranges are in season from December to June and are available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores and farmers’ markets, and from melissas.com.

You can use red beets if golden beets are unavailable, but your pasta will turn pink.

In this satisfying first course, the sweet-savory filling is wrapped up in a delicious homemade strudel dough. Keep in mind that the dough needs to chill overnight, so start this recipe one day ahead. Serve slices of the strudel alongside the watercress salad .

A chocolate cocktail? You bet. This intense drink showcases the smooth flavor of the Homemade Chocolate Liqueur. The cocktail is served at Orson, Chef Falkner’s restaurant, where some of the cocktails are named after films that Orson Welles acted in or directed. This beverage takes its name from the 1970 film Catch-22. To up the ante, carefully dip the rim of each glass in melted chocolate before you pour the cocktails.

An entirely new kind of sundae: A light ice cream flecked with crunchy, bitter cocoa nibs is topped with a creamy chocolate-caramel sauce and a sprinkling of spicy, tangy peanuts.

These sandwiches are portable and keep well in a lunch box. The hummus should be thick for the sandwiches, but if you want to enjoy the leftovers as a dip, thin slightly with a little extra olive oil.