Epicurious

Lefse Enjoyed year-round, these soft flatbreads are especially common during holidays. For many Norwegians, and members of Norwegian communities such as those in the Midwestern United States, making lefse symbolizes the start of the Christmas season. They can be either sweet or savory: On the Christmas Eve buffet, they often accompany lutefisk (preserved cod) and pork ribs, but as a snack, they're popular rolled up, spread with butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. Lefse are traditionally made using special grooved rolling pins; large, superheated griddles; and long wooden spatulas. However, we found that a regular rolling pin, a 10-inch cast iron skillet, a pastry bench scraper, and a thin metal spatula worked just fine. Cooking the potatoes thoroughly and using a ricer or food mill will ensure that there will be no lumps in the potato dough.

Amaretti According to legend, in the early 1700s, a Milanese bishop made a surprise visit to the town of Saronno in Lombardy. A young couple paid tribute to the bishop by welcoming him with their unique homemade cookies, made from crushed apricot kernels and almonds, egg whites, and sugar. The bishop so loved the cookies that he blessed the couple, and the recipe became a local favorite. Today, bakeries throughout the region, and in Italian communities around the world, carry amaretti di Saronno, but it's worth the (small) effort to make them yourself. The recipe is simple, and fresh from the oven, they have a crisp-yet-tender texture that's beyond compare.

Pan de Pascua This rich, slightly sweet yeast bread is ubiquitous in Chile during the Christmas season. Accompanied by cola de mono, an eggnoglike, spiced coffee drink spiked with aguardiente liqueur, it's the classic holiday snack. Similar to German stollen and Italian panettone, the recipe probably traveled to Chile with German immigrants in the early 1900s. This recipe can be baked in a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides or, for a taller, narrower loaf like the one shown above, an 8-inch diameter clay flowerpot. It can be made a day ahead and rewarmed in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers make excellent French toast.

These tiny cakes make terrific gifts, packaged in sets of three — one of each flavor. The basic vanilla batter is also wonderful for other variations — try orange rind and white chocolate-chip, raisin-walnut, or "the kitchen sink" (that's whatever you need to get rid of in your pantry). I also like to keep some of these loaves in my freezer for impromptu breakfast parties. Just move them to the refrigerator before bed, and they'll be thawed by morning.

This is an all-day project, but it's worth the work. The repeated risings give the yeast time to add extra flavor and moisture, a difference you'll definitely taste in the finished product. The recipe will make two large loaves, perfect for holiday entertaining, or eight small ones, great for gift-giving. Well wrapped, they'll keep for days, and slightly stale leftovers can be turned into delicious into French toast.

This traditional Italian liqueur looks beautiful in decorative glass bottles that show off its bright-yellow color. For added effect, tuck in some lemon leaves, which are available at many florist shops (just be sure to wash them well before blanching). If you're giving the limoncello as a gift, you'll want to start it well in advance, since it requires a week of steeping. It's best drunk cold, so you may want to refrigerate the bottle before handing it over, in case the recipient wants to crack it open on the spot. It's also delicious poured over fresh strawberries.

Pinwheel cookies, in which chocolate and vanilla dough are layered, rolled, and sliced, are an impressive-looking and delicious treat. Though the rolling process is not complicated, I find that many people are a bit intimidated by it. So, why not do it for them? You make the dough and assemble the log, then the recipient just slices and bakes. Give them the joy of baking without the mess!

Packed into a sealable crock or mason jar, this condiment makes a wonderful gift. Once you become familiar with the recipe, it can be customized: You can take out the horseradish and garlic for a more mellow experience, change the vinegar from cider to red wine for more tang, or sub whole brown mustard seeds for the yellow for a darker, nuttier flavor. One thing to remember: The flavors benefit from two weeks of aging in which to meld, so it's best to start this project a bit before the holidays. If pressed for time, however, simply attach a tag with the date on which you recommend the crock be opened.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Center at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa. This recipe makes 1/2 cup more dressing than needed for Chef Jesus González's picante jicama and roasted carrot salad. The extra dressing is good on all sorts of salads, and will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for 3 days.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Center at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa. Jicama is a large root vegetable with light brown skin and a white interior. Also called Mexican potato and yambean root, jicama is native to Mexico and South America and is available in Latin markets and most supermarkets in North America.

This recipe is part of a menu Chef Ming Tsai created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Use this syrup to make his Blue Ginger Gimlet.

Chef Ming Tsai created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Simply Ming by Ming Tsai. It's part of a menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. This is a great dipping sauce for all dim sum — pot stickers, shu mai, spring rolls, scallion pancakes, to name a few — but it's also good with any fried goodie, like chicken fingers. You can and should adjust the heat to suit your palate. Though the dip lasts about a week in a fridge, it's so easily prepared that I recommend you make just as much as you need when you need it.

Chef Ming Tsai created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Serve the potstickers with his dim sum dipper and cranberry-teriyaki glaze.

This zesty cocktail is a customer favorite at Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Chef Ming Tsai included the recipe in a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.