Bon Appétit

This is a nice appetizer; serve it with toasted pita wedges or Italian bread.

Prepared puff pastry makes this easy.

Paper clips are useful for tightly sealing these simple appetizer packages. Foil is a good substitute for the parchment. (Paper clips are not necessary with foil; just crimp the edges to seal tightly.) Be sure to discard any mussels that do not open.

This can be made with maple, lemon or rum extract instead of almond. It's great on any cookie that calls for a piped icing. This recipe originally accompanied Christmas Tree Shortbread .

(MIXED SALAD)

A break from the standard salsa. This versatile condiment is good on crusty bread as an appetizer, and adds zip to flank steak or skirt steak for an entrée.

This ice cream treat is based on the classic combination of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate.

Few desserts are as comforting or satisfying as a simple egg custard. Here we've dressed things up a bit with some extra spice and a fruit compote.

This recipe originally accompanied Roast Turkey with Bourbon Glaze . Here are two southern favorites in one colorful stuffing. Prepare the corn bread one day ahead so that it can dry out overnight. (This lends a nice texture to the stuffing.)

This hearty ham and egg dish includes pipérade, a Basque mixture of sautéed tomatoes and bell peppers, which is generally used as a sauce for meats.

Russian cheesecakes, like this one served at The Kaleenka in Seattle, are lighter and drier than most American versions. The texture comes from a dry-curd cheese (known here a hoop cheese) common to Russian cooking.

While the birth of the Brandy Alexander cocktail may be obscured in the history of mixology, the creation of the like-named pie can be traced to right around December 1933, when Prohibition was repealed. Americans could once again enjoy a legal drink. That apparently inspired some creative cooks to flavor recipes once again with wines and liqueurs, and the forerunner of this pie was born. We've replaced the traditional graham cracker crust with one made of chocolate wafer cookies, and we've added white chocolate to the rich brandy and crème de cacao filling.

Refreshing in looks and taste, these light fruit sorbets served in a colorful raspberry sauce are perfect after a filling seder meal. There will be leftovers of each sorbet to enjoy later.