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An appealing appetizer salad from The Great House at Villa Madeleine, St. Croix.

White rice, currants and pine nuts also go into the filling for this regional specialty.

The perennial Christmas gift gets a luscious face-lift in this impressive cake. We guarantee that it won't get shuffled around, and no one will make any jokes about it. Store the cake in the refrigerate for up to three weeks before giving. Wrap it in some red or green cellophane, and present it in a decorative box (a hatbox is fun) tied with a big, bright bow.

This crunchy old-time favorite is an ideal gift for families, because both adults and children will eat it by the handful. For a gift, place the popcorn in glass jars tied with ribbon and decorated with sprigs of holly. And for immediate eating, put the popcorn in a cellophane-lined basket or box, and set it out for everyone to enjoy.

Wrapped in colorful cellophane, these chewy caramels make a great gift for friends with a sweet tooth.

For ease of transportation, the cupcakes and icing may be brought on board in separate containers.

A crunchy topping is the twist to this quintessential Thanksgiving pie.

Stout, in the sharper-flavored ale family of brews popular in Great Britain, gains its dark color from the roasted malt used in its brewing. The rich, malty flavor melds well with the molasses and aromatics in this moist cake, which is brightened with a lemon glaze.

This delicate cake can be prepared a day before serving. Try this easy orange sauce over ice cream, too.

You can steam, grill, boil or broil the shrimp or, even easier, buy them already cooked. Saffron rice and greens mixed with some olives, red onion slices and a garlicky olive oil dressing are perfect side dishes. Sliced oranges sprinkled with a bit of sweet Sherry and paired with some crisp sugar cookies would round out the Spanish-inspired menu.

Inspired by custom-made Indian snacks sold all over Chowpatty Beach.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.