Grapefruit

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 days

Lime and grapefruit juices enhance the creamy white-chocolate filling in this treat.

Arugula's bold flavor and the texture of curly frisée team up in this simple salad.

A lovely array of textures and flavors. Very nice with skewers of grilled scallops or panfried salmon fillets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Yuuan Yaki The meaty flavor of oily fish such as Spanish mackerel, pompano, or swordfish stands up nicely to this marinade. If you prefer milder-flavored fish, try cod or bass.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The idea for this salad came from Carlos Conrique, who worked at Billy Cross's cooking school in Morelia, a beautiful 16th-century Mexican town. Today, Conrique is a chef at the Blue Door, in Miami's Delano Hotel, where his dishes are still influenced by his childhood in Guadalajara.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 7 hr

If you don't want to cook a live lobster for this recipe, buy 2/3 pound cooked lobster meat from your seafood shop. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr (includes chilling)

Pomegranate seeds are a colorful, tangy garnish for this salad. The season for pomegranates comes to an end by mid-February, so plan ahead and buy one now (they keep for several weeks in the refrigerator). Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

This surprisingly rich-tasting custard has much less fat than the classic version made with egg yolks. In another twist, we call for vin santo instead of the conventional choice, Marsala.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Variations of this salad are often served on Christmas Eve in both old and New Mexico.