Nutmeg

"Every time I visit my sister in Los Angeles, we make a point of having dinner at Mimosa, a popular French bistro," writes Frances Candler Brown of Birmingham, Alabama. "I like to think I'm an adventurous diner, but my order there has become only too predictable: a glass of wine, a salad and the restaurant's delectable version of macaroni and cheese." This French take on macaroni and cheese has a nice assertive flavor.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick. Slowly stir in the brandy, rum, peach brandy, milk and cream. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and pour into a punch bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the eggnog. Grate a little nutmeg on top and serve in 4-ounce punch glasses.

Although the most authentic Swedish meatballs are not sauced, this creamy dill-and mustard-spiked dish is nevertheless hearty, comforting and flavored with ingredients popular in Swedish cooking. The meatballs are served over caraway noodles to capture every drop of the delectable sauce. Uncork a Chardonnay to go with the meal.

"I was married last spring, and my husband and I spent our honeymoon in Del Mar, California, at L’Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa," writes Leah Morgan of Shoreline, Washington. "While we were there, we enjoyed the cinnamon-raisin French toast. I would love to surprise my husband by re-creating this special breakfast at home." You’ll need to buy unsliced bread from a bakery to make this super-thick French toast.

This version of the much maligned Christmas classic is deliciously lacking in candied cherries, giant mixed nuts and citron, but it is filled with bits of marzipan and lots of appealing dried fruit. Baking the cakes in disposable aluminum loaf pans (available at supermarkets) or in decorative cardboard loaf pans (available at some cookware stores or by mail order) makes gift giving easy; just wrap each cake in its pan in cellophane, and add a colorful ribbon.

Purchased pastry makes this pie a snap to prepare.

This is a variation on a cake that my mother makes for both dessert and breakfast. The original recipe used a couple of bowls and a mixer, but I've developed a quick saucepan method, and even my mother says it has the same moist, tender texture and flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Adding sour cream to the filling richens the custard and makes it a bit less sweet, allowing the flavor of the pumpkin to come through in this dessert. Any extra pie dough can be cut into pumpkin shapes for a festive garnish on top.

Turnip plants were brought to America by early French and English settlers.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Here is the perfect present for those who indulge in holiday eggnog — a mixture of spirit and spice to blend into the Christmas beverage. To make the gift complete, pour it into a beautiful bottle and tie a small nutmeg grater and some whole nutmegs around the neck with a festive ribbon.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

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.

"The recipes here reflect my British roots, but not necessarily my family traditions," writes Mairi Morrison of London, England. "Although my mother is from Scotland and my father is from Northern Ireland, I grew up in Los Angeles, where our weeknight meals were typically American: spaghetti, tacos, and burgers. It wasn't until I moved to Europe that I became really interested in food. Here in London my social life is centered around the table. I really like this dish because it is typically British, and perfect for a rainy winter evening in London." A nice side with lamb, chicken or fish dishes.

A mixture of cottage cheese, lowfat yogurt and lemon juice replaces the sour cream in the traditional version of this dish. Ground turkey makes an especially good choice for those watching their cholesterol intake.

"Four-spices" usually include four of five spices and are commonly used to season forcemeats for sausages and terrines. I include all five. This is one combination of spices that I try to keep on hand in small quantities. This recipes is a suggestion; quantities and proportions given are typical but not written in stone. Vary the amounts to suit your own palate.

Honey and dried currants add sweetness.