Orange

Riz au Lait et Rosace d'Oranges The great rice pudding revival taking hold of Paris is an oddly quiet phenomenon. In interviews for this book, individual bistro chefs like Gérard Fouché were genuinely surprised to learn that dozens of their colleagues had also added a riz au lait to their dessert menus during the last few years. Hankerings for home-style throwbacks are universal: You will be among many instantly enticed by Fouché's creamy rice pudding.

Blood oranges are small, sweet, nearly seedless oranges with vivid bright red flesh. They have a slightly floral flavor with berry undertones. Blood oranges are in season from December to June and are available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores and farmers’ markets, and from melissas.com.

When purchasing rack of lamb, ask your butcher to remove the chine bone as well as any excess surface fat and to "french" or clean, the rib bones. To create a really flavorful spice coating for the lamb, Hayden recommends using high-quality coffee and dark, strong Valrhona cocoa. For the salad, Fleming likes to use a spicy Tuscan olive oil to give the vinaigrette an extra kick of flavor.

The kitchen was the domain of Miraglia Eriquez's grandmother, but this recipe was her grandfather's specialty. Sitting at the dining table, Poppy, as he was known, would peel and cut oranges, toss the pieces into glasses, and cover them with red wine. After the oranges soaked up and sweetened the wine, he would eat forkfuls of the fruit, then down the drink. It was—and is—the perfect prelude to dessert.

The airy ricotta filling—with chocolate chips and flecks of candied orange peel speckled throughout—makes for a perfect marriage of Italian and American.

Jazz up your winter repertoire with a tangy, colorful pomegranate dressing that melds fennel and oranges with salty Pecorino

This delicacy only tastes decadent—the cake is so low in fat, you can afford to splurge by adding coconut and a luxurious sauce.

Bill Gross, who was executive sous chef at Café Gray in New York City, was kind enough to create this recipe for me—and it is simply delicious. The technique is fascinating, but it does require some careful watching while the sugar caramelizes. The oranges are prepared two days ahead, and the ice cream one day ahead—and the waiting is well worth it!

As this cake bakes, it separates into a soufflé-like layer on top and citrusy pudding on the bottom. While it's not really magic, it certainly looks and tastes like it.

A salad of oranges and slightly bitter endive and escarole rounds out the buffet of fried latkes and rich toppings.

Inspired by the Persian fried-turnover cookies called ghotab, food editor Shelley Wiseman used a simple dough to enfold fragrant candied orange peel and pistachios. Her method for candying the peel is very straightforward, and the results—tender and fresh-tasting—are so much better than the store-bought stuff. The flaky baked pastry, generously coated with confectioners sugar, pairs nicely with the chewy-crunchy filling within.

Grapefruit and oranges, at their peak around the holidays, are like a beam of sunshine in the bleak midwinter. Here, a beautiful salad of juicy jewel-toned segments swims in a bright simple syrup infused with the licorice notes of star anise.

This holiday twist on the traditional brunch cocktail sparkles ruby red with pomegranate juice, its tart intensity offset by a hint of sweetness from fresh orange juice and Cointreau.

A life of piety and chastity has to call for something sensual occasionally. Yes, you can enjoy the seductive chocolate flavor and thick creaminess of this Italian hot chocolate without fearing the loss of other worldly pleasures, but this confection is sure to elicit a moan from all who partake. Drinking any of the great Italian-style hot chocolates is almost a religious experience. Over and over again, people who taste this drink for the first time say, "Oh, my God." Is that enough encouragement to give this one a try? Don't overlook the importance of the orange zest or the arrowroot. The oil from the zest gives the chocolate a fresh kick, and the arrowroot thickens the mixture.

This is easy to make and everyone loves marshmallows on top.

Cranberries add sparkle to the meal.

Here's the perfect ending to the feast: a light, bright dessert of oranges, dates, and cinnamon.