Gourmet
Grilled Pork Chops with Anise-Seed Rub and Mango Mojo
Our Cuban-style mango mojo could enhance any grilled meat, as could the anise-seed rub. Adding our grilled asparagus and herbed bulgur creates a well-rounded meal, but rice and green beans or broccoli would also work.
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 35 min
Mustard Herring and Beet Smorrebrod
We like making our own pickled beets with spices and herbs that give these sandwiches a true Scandinavian flavor. You can, however, use bottled pickled beets if you don't have two days for marinating.
Apricot and Walnut Varenikis
Ukrainian Dessert Dumplings
These stuffed dessert dumplings with a chewy noodle-dough wrapping are a Ukrainian specialty. The fruit fillings vary widely—ours are stuffed with dried apricots and walnuts, then sprinkled with a cinnamon-crumb topping.
Smoked-Turkey and Fruit Wrap with Curried Aïoli
Scott Winkelhausen of Rhome, Texas, writes: "The following wrap is great for entertaining. I serve it with my favorite salad or chips and a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a Margarita. The curried aïoli is also good on chicken or roast beef sandwiches."
By Scott Winkelhausen
Toasted Bread Crumbs
These crumbs are used in both the <epirecipelink id="106249">clams oreganata</epirecipelink> and the <epirecipelink id="106281">stuffed baby bell peppers</epirecipelink>. Leftover crumbs are delicious sprinkled over pesto pasta .
Baked Sweet Tart Shell
This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="107772">Candied Kumquat and Ricotta Tart</epi:recipelink> . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Cocoa Tartlet Shells
This recipe was created to for <epi:recipelink id="12414">Chocolate Ganache Tartlets with Sweet Cherries</epi:recipelink>.
Hearty Goulash Soup
In Austria, warming bowls of goulash soup are served in all kinds of establishments — from quick-service restaurants along the Autobahn to Vienna's elegant Hotel Bristol. This hearty beef and vegetable soup can be found in many areas of central and eastern Europe, especially in regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our satisfying rendition has chunks of beef and potato plus red peppers, bacon, onions, and garlic, all fragrant with paprika.
Crab, Mango, and Mint Nori Rolls
To make the nori rolls in this recipe we used a bamboo sushi mat*, available at the sources noted below. Alternatively, a 9-inch square of heavy-duty foil can be used.
Plum-Glazed Roast Turkey with Spinach, Bacon, and Cashew Stuffing and Plum Gravy
We think all turkeys are improved by brining (soaking in salt water), but it's a cumbersome task that few holiday schedules can accommodate. We find kosher turkeys, which are salted during the koshering process, to be just as flavorful and succulent as brined ones, without all the fuss.
However, if you'd like to try brining, stir together 8 quarts water with 2 cups kosher salt in a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and soak your raw turkey, covered and chilled, 10 hours.
*Note: The Spinach, Bacon, and Cashew stuffing for this turkey is contained in the Stuffed Onions recipe.
Braised Shiitakes with Shrimp Stuffing
We adapted this recipe from Big Bowl Noodles and Rice, by Bruce Cost with Matt McMillin (HarperCollins).
Cost likes to stuff dried black Asian"flower" mushrooms. Because these can be expensive and hard to find, we asked if we could try fresh shiitake mushrooms instead. Cost agreed, and we loved the results.
Look for shiitakes with caps that have rounded edges to better hold the stuffing.
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr
White Fish Stock
You can make this stock with a variety of fish carcasses (from nonoily fish) or with just one type — whatever your seafood market can give you.
Rosemary Garlic Red-Wine Vinegar
Flavored vinegars can be used to enliven dressings and marinades, finish pan sauces, or pickle vegetables--and they make wonderful gifts. Once the steeping is completed, these vinegars keep for several months. (Garnishes and other solids left in the jar, however, may discolor or break down.)
Double Chocolate Cherry Torte
This torte has a crisp top that shatters when cut and a fudgy tart cherry center.
Warm Almond Cakes With Grapes
We like serving these chewy, moist almond cakes, which are based on the financier, a French pastry, in individual gratin dishes, but the batter can also be baked in a 9-inch glass pie plate for 30 to 35 minutes.