Beverages

This German drink, called Grossmutters Punsch (Grandmother's Punch), is usually enjoyed warm at midnight on Christmas Eve. It can also be served as a refreshing chilled drink. For a festive touch, add a cinnamon stick to each glass.

Braised pork shoulder, spicy Italian sausage, and pancetta enrich the tomato sauce. Dried crushed red pepper kicks up the heat.

The port cities of Normandy-Caen among them-offer almost endless choices for fall menu planning. For this satisfying stew, the natural bounty of Normandy's waters, the rich cream of its pasturelands and its distinctive apple-based brandy called Calvados are combined with savory root vegetables from the local harvest. Start out with your favorite pâté and some cornichons, and serve a crusty baguette with the stew. Pour a white Burgundy or hard cider.

This recipe is from Davina's mother-in-law. The tender cakes are irresistable—especially with whipped cream.

The juices from any roast—poultry or meat—caramelize in the pan, leaving a residue of brown glaze with intense flavor. In the process called "deglazing," we melt these brown bits in hot liquid (wine, stock, and/or water), to create a quick sauce of concentrated natural essences. Make this pan sauce for either of our roast chickens.

Ideally, the sweet wine in the marinade should be Muscat, a famous Samos wine.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Mascarpone Cheesecake with Quince Compote .

"I've always taken a scientific, as well as an artistic, approach to food," writes Mark Van Wye of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "My family dined out a lot when I was young, and I became an adventurous eater. I would try anything and everything, and eventually I'd attempt to re-create those restaurant dishes at home. I never asked for recipes; I liked the detective work and the sense of discovery as I experimented with ingredients, just as a novice painter learns by copying the masters." Look for green peppercorns where capers and pickles are sold in the supermarket. (They're also good in salad dressings.)

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes making stock and rouille)

Spoon these cherries over ice cream or pound cake, or serve them topped with whipped cream and biscotti.

(Batido) This milk shake is a Puerto Rican and Cuban favorite; Palacio de Los Jugos on Flagler Street in Miami specializes in jugos and makes great tropical-fruit batidos. The fruit combinations are endless — try a mixture of strawberry and kiwi or guava and pineapple — and you can even use coconut milk instead of whole and spike with a shot of rum.

This is like a frozen mousse, which helps explain its name: semifreddo, or "half-frozen." Start preparation a day ahead.