Bon Appétit

For centuries, the French have been braising duck as a way to tenderize it, whether the duck was wild or tame (use only farm-raised duck in the recipe below). The slight bitterness of turnips nicely offsets the flavorful meat rich but simple sauce. The appropriate wine choice here would be French-splurge a bit for the season and pour a good Burgundy or Chablis with this.

Also good with pound cake or waffles.

This recipe makes plenty of extra salsa to serve on tacos or with chips.

Light, refreshing and very sophisticated. Asian pears have a crisp texture, a round shape, and a sweet and floral aroma that's quite unlike that of the more familiar buttery "pear-shaped" pear.

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.)