Make Ahead

This tart was inspired by the torta di cioccolata at Florence's Trattoria Garga. (The recipe appeared in our September 1993 issue.) Tender candied clementine peel adds citrus flavor, making this trufflelike tart even dreamier and evoking the taste of chocolate-dipped candied orange peel.

This quick and easy tomato sauce is the base for two meals: spaghetti marinara and steamed mussels with tomato broth. We call for canned tomatoes because most of the fresh ones available in the wintertime have a bland flavor and mealy texture. Sugar will help round out the flavor if your tomatoes are too acidic. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like your sauce to have a bit of heat. The leftover sauce also freezes well for future meals.

A long, slow braise is the secret to tender meat that falls off the bone.

In Spain, boquerones can be a variety of small fish, pickled or not. In the U.S., however, the term always refers to anchovies that have been pickled in vinegar (which whitens them). They have a flavor similar to pickled herring, which complements the sweetness of the roasted peppers.

This tender chuck roast makes two meals. Most of the meat is sliced and served with onion gravy, accompanied by egg noodles, and the rest gets shredded and saved for a warm beef salad . You might want to round out the first meal with a green salad or sautéed spinach.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon. A straightforward ganache—chocolate and cream — with a two-to-one ratio of cream to chocolate. Some sugar, in the form of corn syrup, is added, primarily for consistency. The chocolate sauce is only as good as the chocolate you use, so use the best you can.

Because this dough uses only one egg, it is difficult to make in a smaller quantity. Freeze the extra dough for another time.

An elegant terrine with pretty layers of walnut praline and homemade white chocolate ice cream. Do-aheads: praline, 3 days; sauce, 1 day; entire terrine, 3 days.

A giant cookie is topped with coarsely crushed peppermint candies and melted white chocolate, then broken into irregular pieces.

Use a variety of holiday cookie cutters to make these classic French shortbreads.

Chunks of fresh cranberries and dark, milk, and white chocolate chips dress up oatmeal cookies for the holidays.

The dough needs to chill overnight before rolling out, so plan accordingly.

These soft ginger cookies are dipped in dark chocolate for sophisticated fun.

Jan Schroeder of Corvallis, Oregon, writes: "A great thing about my job is that I get to do a lot of cooking. I work for the berry industry and one of my duties is developing recipes. I often get ideas from local chefs, but it's also rewarding to see what I can come up with on my own." Ribbon-tied jars of this chutney would make a nice holiday gift.

The pasta is divided among four 3 1/2-quart baking dishes so they can be baked individually for open-house-style serving. But you can use any size bake-and-serve dishes — even a roasting pan or a paella pan.