Raisin

Mole Poblano Mole is very time-consuming to make, but you can begin up to three days ahead. The results are well worth the effort. In Mexico, this is served with rice or unfilled tamales.

I leave the roots on the leeks until after cooking, so they don't fall apart. Just wash and trim beforehand.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

St. John's Jug Muffins "I was given the recipe for these muffins years ago, and I make a batch of the batter every winter," writes Judith Cadigan of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania."When the urge for a muffin strikes, you can bake just one instead of a whole batch, and put the remaining batter back in the refrigerator." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This sweet raisin-filled yeast bread has origins in Austria, but has since become a specialty of the Alsace region of France and is often served for breakfast or brunch.

One of the pleasures of a dish like this is sopping up the wonderful sauce with crusty bread; make sure to have plenty on hand.

A U-shaped peeler with a horizontal blade (available at most supermarkets) makes peeling the squash easier. Here it’s okay to pulse the parsley in a food processor rather than chop it by hand, but pat it dry with paper towels first.

This signature dessert from New Orleans is a classic Creole dish.

This is a kind of picadillo, a typical Spanish stew. It's also a great way to use up the (usually) less popular dark meat from the turkey. Readily available pumpkin pie spice introduces a touch of sweetness — and makes a nice addition to the spice shelf. Accompany this dish with steamed rice, a basket of warm tortillas, and an arugula and red onion salad. For a Latin-style dessert, drizzle warm caramel sauce over caramel ice cream and top with some sliced bananas.

Because a food processor grates the carrots too fine, I recommend that you grate them by hand for this recipe. Be sure to use the side of a grater with teardrop-shaped holes instead of the kind that look like the metal has been punched out from the back. The punched-out kind will turn the carrots to mush.

Coffee cakes rank among the most popular of comfort foods, welcomed at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and as the name indicates, coffee breaks. A coffee cake batter is generally more liquid than a quick bread one and contains a bit more sugar, and as a result, the final product is lighter and moister. On the other hand, coffee cakes tend to be less sweet than butter cakes. There are many versions of kuchen, this streusel-topped sour cream type being a very popular one. It is commonly served at the meal following Yom Kippur, or Shavuot, and on Sabbath afternoons or the melaveh malcha ("accompanying the queen") party following the Sabbath. For the later occasion, spices are added to the batter and topping, reflecting those used during the havdallah ceremony signaling the end of the Sabbath.

Postre de Quinoa Linda Bladholm's South American friend Lilian Zamorano gave us the recipe for this unusual but very tasty dessert. It's made with the ancient Peruvian grain quinoa, which is a common side dish at Peruvian restaurants. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

These cake-like treats are moist and spicy-and great with milk.