Orange

Rockfish is used in this dish at Cashion's Eat Place in Washington, D.C. If you can't find rockfish fillets, substitute sea bass.

Hot or cold, this soup is a great starter and can be a meal in itself. It's thickened with potatoes — not cream — but tastes self-indulgent just the same. [NB: This recipe requires a slow cooker.]

As a working mother with four daughters, my mom had very little spare time, yet she always managed to turn out meals reminiscent of her native Canton, China. This dish, one of her specialties, takes its name from the moist, velvety texture the chicken gets from being poached at a low temperature. My mother loved the short preparation time (the chicken finishes cooking through heat retained in a covered pot) and that the poaching liquid can be strained and then chilled or frozen to be used again. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Jennifer Larson of Beirut, Lebanon, writes: "I had a fabulous lunch at Rosa Mexicano in New York. The warm chocolate cake with sweet tomatillo sauce really stood out. Can you get the recipe?" Chocolate labels can be confusing because there's no official distinction between semisweet and bittersweet. We tested this recipe using Valrhona (56%), which is labeled semisweet, Ghirardelli Bittersweet, and Lindt Bittersweet. We got the best result using Valrhona (56%), but if Valrhona is not available, we recommend Ghirardelli Bittersweet over Lindt Bittersweet for this recipe.

Mark Taylor of West Hartford, Connecticut, writes: "I started cooking out of necessity when I first graduated from college, since I couldn't afford to eat out. Having grown up watching my mother cook for our large family, I used her recipes. She was always trying new dishes whenever we had guests and sharing her adventurous attitude toward eating. These days, even though my wife and I both work, we still cook several times a week. Now I tend to rely on recipes I've picked up from restaurants and friends. I enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and figuring out new ways to improve a recipe, as I've done with the one here."

A smooth filling enhanced with orange distinguishes this version of a holiday classic.

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.

Great on their own or in pastas and salads.

"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."

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.

The children of Jean Garry, wife of editor-in-chief William J. Garry, may have left home, but they come back at Christmas for their favorite bread. The recipe was given to Jean by her mother (who isn't Swedish, but never mind). The bread which is lightly flavored with aniseed and orange, makes great toast for stocking-searching time. Sometimes Jean bakes the loaves in nine-inch aluminum pie tins. After they cool, she puts the breads back into the tins and wraps them up in colorful cellophane for gift giving.

Add crunch to the meal by having rice cakes on the side. Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice to balance the flavors of the vegetables.

Begin preparing the kebabs one day before you plan to serve them.

Home cooking doesn't get any easier than this. So if you're serious about getting maximum flavor for a minimum amount of effort, this Cuban way of preparing chicken is for you. The onions and Mojito Marinade melt together into a tasty sauce that mingles well with some of our Perfect Rice.

This recipe is from chef Peter Doyle from Cicada in Sydney. "This dish is a play on Maltaise sauce, but in a lighter, fresher version more conducive to our climate."

Dundee has been synonymous with marmalade for hundreds of years. The story goes that around 1700, an enterprising Dundee housewife crafted marmalade as we know it from a boatload of bitter Seville oranges purchased by her husband from a Spanish ship stranded in the harbor. In this recipe, marmalade is gently heated with orange juice and whisky until it liquefies, then the sauce is poured over the cake.

Espresso, chocolate and orange star in a very rich, very elegant cheesecake.