Brunch

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Bake this dessert ahead so it can chill overnight.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "I first discovered that fennel was a delicious vegetable while enjoying Christmas Eve dinner at the home of a dear friend of mine, the late cooking teacher Loni Kuhn. At her own family's holiday meals, a gratin of fennel, potatoes and cheese was a much appreciated standard. The mild anise flavor of cooked fennel goes particularly well with roast turkey or roast pork, and it has been a regular at my family's holiday table for more than twenty years."

Make two trifles to serve 30 guests, or make one and round out the dessert table with fruitcake and goodies from the bakery.

There's no butter or oil in these crisp cookies, which are perfect with the Fruit In Spiced Wine For the best texture, be sure to slice them thinly. To keep them crunchy, carry them to the picnic in an airtight container.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This zesty, eye-opening casserole can be made with either pork or beef chorizo.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ruthie, Sara's chocolate-loving daughter, is a great fan of this recipe. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Chimichurri is a vibrant sauce of parsley and olive oil (with a little kick from red pepper flakes) that's traditionally served on grilled meats in Argentina. In this recipe, flank steak is marinated in the chimichurri, broiled, and then sliced and served on baguette slices with a dollop of the sauce. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 35 min

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

These patties get their moistness and delicious flavor from a combination of light and dark meat. We don't recommend using all breast meat—they just won't be as good.

(Editor's Note: As of 2/27/01 ingredient quantities were adjusted for this recipe. It now works wonderfully.) If you want to make savory waffles, add about 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or hard sheep's milk cheese and omit the sugar.

For more information about cooking wild rice, see Born to Be Wild. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Active time: 15 minutes Start to finish: 1 1/4 hour

Crusty French bread and baked potatoes with butter are terrific alongside the eggs and asparagus. Add a fresh fruit tart from the bakery, and you'll know that this is definitely not breakfast.

Here's an elegant and refreshing dish that features a wine syrup drizzled over grapefruit segments (skip the syrup on the kids' portions) and served in hollowed-out halves.