Alcohol

Instead of serving coffee, alter the usual dessert routine by offering a glass of Cognac or dry Sherry with these apples.

An adaptation of a classic Northern Italian dish, spezzatini di pollo al pomodoro e vino bianco (chicken sautéed with tomato and white wine). Serve sautéed broccoli rabe and a crusty ciabatta alongside. What to drink: Barbera or Italian Chardonnay.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Peaches sweetened with brown sugar fill pecan-studded biscuits — a southern-style twist on an all-American favorite.

Fruit with a spiced wine syrup is a typical — and refreshing — ending to a hearty Spanish dinner. Serve with slices of lemon sponge cake if desired.

At The Riviera restaurant in Dallas, this delicious main course is teamed with steamed asparagus and fingerling potatoes roasted with rosemary.

Roasting the asparagus intensifies its flavor and is easy to do.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min Servings: Serves 12 (as part of aïoli menu).

Holly Gustafson of Shaker Heights, Ohio, writes: "Noggins Restaurant, Raw Bar & Pub is a great restaurant in my neighborhood that serves the most wonderful artichoke-blue cheese bisque. I've searched many cooking Web sites for something similar, but I can't find anything close to it. Can you help me get the real recipe?" The blue cheese adds a pungent note to this silky, warming soup.

If venison isn't for you, beef tenderloin is a good alternative (see cooks' note, below). Because beef is not as dense and rich as venison, the portions are slightly larger (cooking times and temperatures will also be different).

Not quite as sweet as a pecan pie, but with the same caramel candy-like filling.

This dessert had its heyday on American menus about 15 years ago, and it turns up a little less frequently these days. The popularity of tiramisu never wavered in Rome, however, where it continues to be served at dinner parties and restaurants.

To bring out the best in this dish, buy or order the finest cheeses from a cheese shop or Italian deli: fresh ricotta, mild imported provolone, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.