Beverages

This cake and custard sauce can also be made ahead. Both should come out of the refrigerator, to take the chill off, when the first course is served. The accompanying caramelized pears, which require not more than a few minutes to sauté, make a welcome addition to the cool custard sauce and moist cake.

Sweet and salty, the ham is great served with roasted potatoes and applesauce.

This turkey is basted with Port, a wine exported to the colonies by English merchants in Portugal; for a time it was boycotted by the revolutionaries. Here, the Port gives the turkey and the gravy a rich flavor. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Uncork your best Merlot with the veal.

"I'm originally from Ecuador, and I'll never forget the wonderful food there," Maria Budde of Orange, California. "I enjoy re-creating dishes from my home country, and this flavorful starter is typical of my native cuisine. It's simple to make and delicious."

"Years ago, when we were dating, my husband took me to Park Bistro in Manhattan," writes Therese Tetzel of Dallas, Texas. "To this day, we return to the restaurant every time we go to New York. Its version of coq au vin is the best I've had in the United States—similar to one we tried in Burgundy."

This turns a terrific gingerbread—created by Rick Rodgers, an accomplished baker and food writer—into a layer cake. Let the stout stand, opened, at room temperature overnight so that it’s flat when you add it to the batter.

One of the signature dishes at Antinco Martini in Venice, Italy. The chef uses veal loin; veal scallops are a convenient substitute.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Mustard and honey are a combination that's ideal for lamb or tuna steaks. It's a bit too pungent to use for dipping, but the flavor mellows with cooking. Brush the sauce liberally on meat or fish before and during grilling. The recipe makes enough for about 1 1/2 pounds of lamb or fish. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.