Citrus

This refreshing salad serves as a palate cleanser before dessert. Oltranti updates a traditional Italian-style salad dressing with the modern flavors of California cuisine: Floral Meyer lemon amplifies the acidity of red-wine vinegar in a bright shallot vinaigrette.

This delicacy only tastes decadent—the cake is so low in fat, you can afford to splurge by adding coconut and a luxurious sauce.

Surprisingly, it takes half a gallon of milk to get 1 1/2 cups of fresh ricotta. You'll need a double batch to have enough for the <epi:recipelink id="351042">gnocchi</epi:recipelink>. For the moistest, lightest consistency, let the curds drain only aslong as specified.

The zesty lemon-cream filling for the cookies can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate the filling; bring it to room temperature before using.

Less expensive than crab but just as good.

Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes. Our lemon loaf recipe is very straightforward. We do not add poppy seeds, pecans, or any other extraneous ingredient. We really feel that the most important aspect of a lemon loaf is the zingy lemon flavor, and we accentuate it by using a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly grated lemon zest, and a mildly sweet lemon syrup. The sour cream gives this loaf a subtle tang and a dense, moist crumb that cannot be achieved with yogurt. If you want to increase the lemony goodness of these cakes, add the simple glaze after the syrup has set and the cakes are cool. This loaf freezes extremely well, so you can double the recipe and make a few extra loaves.

Bill Gross, who was executive sous chef at Café Gray in New York City, was kind enough to create this recipe for me—and it is simply delicious. The technique is fascinating, but it does require some careful watching while the sugar caramelizes. The oranges are prepared two days ahead, and the ice cream one day ahead—and the waiting is well worth it!

As this cake bakes, it separates into a soufflé-like layer on top and citrusy pudding on the bottom. While it's not really magic, it certainly looks and tastes like it.

A salad of oranges and slightly bitter endive and escarole rounds out the buffet of fried latkes and rich toppings.

Our love of lemon grows exponentially at the sight of these delightful melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies. It perfumes the tiny treats, which are put together with an easy icing that zings with zest and fresh lemon juice. Rolling them in brightly colored sanding sugar makes them sparkle like vintage Christmas ornaments.

Mayonnaise with lemon and thyme gives both extra freshness and a golden-brown crust to delicate, slightly sweet pollock.

Grapefruit and oranges, at their peak around the holidays, are like a beam of sunshine in the bleak midwinter. Here, a beautiful salad of juicy jewel-toned segments swims in a bright simple syrup infused with the licorice notes of star anise.

This holiday twist on the traditional brunch cocktail sparkles ruby red with pomegranate juice, its tart intensity offset by a hint of sweetness from fresh orange juice and Cointreau.

Inspired by the Persian fried-turnover cookies called ghotab, food editor Shelley Wiseman used a simple dough to enfold fragrant candied orange peel and pistachios. Her method for candying the peel is very straightforward, and the results—tender and fresh-tasting—are so much better than the store-bought stuff. The flaky baked pastry, generously coated with confectioners sugar, pairs nicely with the chewy-crunchy filling within.

A life of piety and chastity has to call for something sensual occasionally. Yes, you can enjoy the seductive chocolate flavor and thick creaminess of this Italian hot chocolate without fearing the loss of other worldly pleasures, but this confection is sure to elicit a moan from all who partake. Drinking any of the great Italian-style hot chocolates is almost a religious experience. Over and over again, people who taste this drink for the first time say, "Oh, my God." Is that enough encouragement to give this one a try? Don't overlook the importance of the orange zest or the arrowroot. The oil from the zest gives the chocolate a fresh kick, and the arrowroot thickens the mixture.

This is easy to make and everyone loves marshmallows on top.