Prune

"I had the pleasure of dining at Bacco restaurant during one of my many visits to New Orleans," writes Scott J. Grande of Ormond Beach, Florida. "It's run by Ralph Brennan, who is a gracious and accommodating host. The pork tenderloin on escarole that I had for dinner was delicious; I hope you'll be able to get the recipe for my collection." Bacco is one of eight New Orleans restaurants run by members of the Brennan family. At Bacco, this pork tenderloin is served with garlicky mashed potatoes.

Panforte — a cross between a cake and a candy — is a classic Italian Christmas treat. It's a very dense, rich confection loaded with nuts, dried fruit, and spices (hence its name, which means "strong bread"). This recipe yields much more than you'll need for the party, but it keeps so well that you'll have delicious leftovers long after the holiday season. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

Since this exotic dish has a very flavorful sauce, serve it with couscous or rice.

Prunes and Cognac add moistness and great flavor to this rich chocolate cake.

Terrific when served with vanilla or coffee ice cream, and a very appealing breakfast or snack cake on its own.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Rum and spices-classic Caribbean ingredients-also happen to be the classic ingredients in the traditional English steamed pudding. This lovely version of the Christmas dessert is from the Grand View Beach Hotel, Villa Point, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Begin preparing it at least one day before serving.

Transforming cabbage into sauerkraut was one way the Germans preserved summer's crop for the hard winter ahead. A combination of rinsing the kraut of its salty brine and baking it with dried fruit mellows its bite. Smoked pork chops can be substituted; just omit the browning step. Offer some dark and light German beers to drink.

This dessert, long favored by the British at holiday time, originally contained minced meat along with the fruits and spices. This version, more suited to the nineties table, is meatless and brimming with apples, dried fruit and lots of spices.

Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

At the Princeville Hotel on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, a mixture of dried and fresh fruits is used to fill the pork. Begin preparing this dish one day before serving.

These muffins are at once light and chewy.

Always cool the stuffing completely before filling the turkey.

The Centre de Formation en Restauration Traditionnelle, a government-sponsored cooking school in Rabat, is dedicated to preserving the art of traditional Moroccan gastronomy. The students, all young women, will go on to staff Morocco's embassies and consulates around the world. This classic tagine recipe, given to me by the Centre's former director, Monsieur Tamer, is part of the school's delectable curriculum.

Kind of a cross between a steamed pudding and a brownie, this rich-tasting dessert has only 1 tablespoon of added fat.

Miss Toklas frightens her readers when she says this dish takes four days to prepare. Actually, the labor involved is insignificant.