Winter

This recipe is a yummy one-pot entrée from The Elements of Taste, by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky. The secret here is browning the meat.

Legend has it that these cornmeal and molasses rolls are named for a New England fisherman's curse on his wife: "Anna, damn her!" Regardless of what she may have done to upset her spouse, she was a great baker.

Fresh blackberries are plentiful in July and August, but since we must use frozen in the winter, be sure they're individually quick-frozen (available in plastic bags in the supermarket). Don't use berries packed in syrup.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Mulled wine is also known as vin chaud and glühwein. In the past, the drink was usually served in a pewter mug and often heated with a red-hot poker.

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 .

To make this borscht into a full meal, serve the butter-braised oysters as a starter, or vice versa.

A wonderful cookie to bake with kids. Have them cut out their own snowflake stencils, then let the powdered sugar fly. Lace doilies also work well as stencils.

David Barber, chef at Three Square Grill in Portland, Oregon, writes: "Even though I cook for a living, I still enjoy having friends over for dinner. My wife, Barbara, and I actually have the worst kitchen in the world. But that doesn't matter when you have what I consider the basics, like a good sharp chef's knife and a stand mixer. And because Barbara is a gardener, we've learned how to make impressive meals using fewer, but fresher, ingredients."

These replace the more familiar Hanukkah latkes that are prepared with grated raw potatoes. The croquettes are made with bolbess, the Jewish mashed potato stuffing for goose. But like latkes, they are fried in oil to symbolize the miracle of the oil that is the basis for Hanukkah. In the second century b.c., a one-day supply of oil burned for eight days and nights after followers of Judah Maccabee captured the Holy Temple of Jerusalem from their Syrian oppressors. Fried foods are served at Hanukkah in commemoration.

The generous amount of cinnamon in this recipe makes for especially flavorful cookies.

(Braised Chicken with Vinegar and Tarragon)

(Apple Walnut Cake) This cake's unusual name was taken from the relative who originally passed down the recipe.