Fruit

Not your typical chicken pot pie. Cumin, cinnamon, and paprika add an aromatic spiciness, which is balanced by briny green olives and sweet golden raisins.

Royal icing is a pure-white, sticky icing that dries to a hard finish. Royal icing is used for delicate piping on cookies and gingerbread houses. Its  bright white hue makes it a good option for tinting whatever color you like. 

The fragrant spices in this apple crisp are pure Christmas, and the cornmeal in the topping adds a rustic touch.

Panzanella is an Italian bread and tomato salad served in the summer and made with leftover crusty country loaves. In this winter version, tomatoes are replaced by brussels sprouts and apples, and the fruit-filled bread known as panettone stands in for the country loaves.

Dried fruit, nuts, and oil-cured olives make this fruitcake something special.

Any combination of dried fruit and nuts will work here, so choose your favorites or just use what you have in your cupboard. For a sweeter treat, swap in semisweet chocolate chips in place of bittersweet.

Put on your winter whites for this elegant dessert featuring spiced, wine-poached pears, ladyfingers, and a white chocolate–mascarpone mousse.

If you end up with a few extra shortcakes, they're great for breakfast.

A savory crust and simple sauce lift this roast into the special-occasion realm.

This is the perfect entrée for a holiday dinner for two. Complete the meal with sautéed green beans and wild mushrooms and a wild-rice pilaf with chopped fresh parsley and hazelnuts. For dessert? Chocolate mousse topped with rum-spiked whipped cream and chopped crystallized ginger.

Blood oranges have a thinner and less bitter peel than navel oranges, so it's okay to eat—as in this dessert.

Roasted fingerling potatoes would be great with this colorful dish. Ask the butcher to roll and tie the pork loin for you.

The marmalade can also be served with a cheese plate or simply spread on toast.

Think of it as apples in the buff: Stripped of the usual apple-pie spices, the fruits' natural floral qualities really come through. And free-form as it is, the rustic tart is very easy to make (there's no need for a pie plate)—not to mention refreshingly light.

Garlicky kale, a robust winter green, gains an unexpected twist with dried cranberries' saucy hits of tartness.

The gutsy contrast of assertive greens with juicy pears, slivers of Manchego, and toasted pumpkin seeds lets guests know right from the beginning that this meal will be full of personality.

Don't let the much-touted health benefits of this fluffy grain put you off—it also happens to be absolutely delicious. The light, lemony taste of this version makes it a great accompaniment to a whole host of dishes, and it pairs particularly well with the Spicy Calamari with Bacon and Scallions.

With its warm, gooey goodness, this dessert will bring bananas Foster to mind. You'll have some sauce left over, which will be handy because, we assure you, you'll be in the mood to have this again the next night—if not sooner.

Caramel and tart Granny Smiths that turn almost saucy breathe new style into upside-down cake; toasted walnuts, ground with sugar and mixed into the batter, lend moistness, and their flavor is teased out with spices and a nip of almond extract.