Raisin

Serve over couscous, if desired.

(Hot Scandanavian Christmas Punch)

Couscous, the basis of many North African dishes, is shaped like a grain but is actually a pasta made of semolina wheat. In fact couscous was incorporated into Italian cuisine when Arabs occupied Sicily six centuries ago. And so to flavor the following couscous we've used classic ingredients common to Sicily rather than North Africa-olives, peppers, capers, currants, and pine nuts.

Serve the pesto with grilled or sautéed scallops, chicken, or fish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The caramelized onion jam can be prepared three days before you make the sandwiches.

"Moist and pretty in color when blackberry, currant, or some such jam was used, [jam cake] was a favorite with pioneer women, for it kept well," James Beard wrote in his American Cookery (Little Brown, 1972). The only thing more that might be said about jam cake is that it is delicious.

Although pure maple syrup is a tried-and-true accompaniment to waffles, we've come up with something a little different for the following recipe. Here you'll find a choice of a savory topping as well as a sweet one.

Because the more traditional dark fruitcakes aren't really to her liking, senior editor Sarah Belk created this one, filled with her favorite nuts and dried fruits. To make these gifts even more festive, she suggest decorating the glazed cakes with additional dried fruits and nuts.

This recipe, a refined trail mix if you will, is based on mendiants, a traditional French Christmas dish that consists of almonds, figs, hazelnuts, and raisins. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less