Candy Thermometer

This is a big-deal dish. But the numerous steps, all easy, transform the duck into a wonder of subtle spiciness. We had this dish in Xi'an, where five-spice powder in the rub and the dipping salt were lovely touches.

Sweet corn shows up at New York City's Mesa Grill in many guises, including, at meal's end, a memorable ice cream created by pastry chef Wayne H. Brachman. Our version of chef Brachman's dessert differs from the original only in texture (we opted for a smooth ice cream rather than a kernel-studded one).

This recipe yields an extra cake layer that can be reserved for another time. Wrap it tightly in foil, and freeze it for up to a month. Keeping the cake wrapped, defrost it at room temperature; then serve it with berries and whipped cream or ice cream.

Set the truffles in paper or silver-foil candy cups, and offer them in baskets wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with raffia and pinecones. If you prefer, coat the truffles in 12 ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate instead of white chocolate.

In nineteenth-century America, kichlers or Haman's Ears for Purim Night were small cookies (kichel is cookie in Yiddish), sometimes made from a pound-cake batter, deep-fried in butter, and bathed in sugar syrup flavored with cinnamon and rose water. Notice that butter was used in this age before vegetable shortening. Haman's Ears is also the American name for a kichel, kichelkies, or hazenblosen (blown-up little pants), thin strips of fried dough sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, similar to the Italian bugie served at Carnivale in February. "When I would ask my grandmother how much red wine to use in her kichelkies, she would reply, 'Half and egg shell,'" said Flora Atkin, who enjoys making traditional family recipes for holidays. "She used to say, 'I know my recipe won't die because my granddaughter will carry on the tradition.'" She was right. Before Rosh Hashanah, each year, Mrs. Atkin makes kichelkies on an assembly line with three frying pans going at once.

This simple white cake has a lemon curd filling and glaze. Big cakes like this are typical special-occasion desserts in the South.

This crispy chicken is accented with ginger and sesame oil, and served with a simple dipping sauce of soy, cilantro, green onions and ginger. Wrap the chicken in foil, and store the sauce and slaw in plastic containers; be sure to add a cold pack or two to the picnic basket. Fill a thermos with limeade, or bring along a cooler of your favorite beers.

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

This rich and creamy fudge is a snap to prepare. For a special gift, associate food editor (and resident chocolate expert) Sarah Tenaglia sets the fudge in gold foil cups and packs them in white boxes tied up with French silk ribbon.

Frozen desserts seem especially festive — and no less refreshing — in the cooler months.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

This sherbet in waffle cups is the creation of Jorge Rocha Carmona and his wife, Claudia Mendez, owners of Rome Pasteler‭a, Billy Cross's favorite pastry shop in Oaxaca.

This delicious custard sauce, which accompanies the Rote Grütze, also goes well with summer fruit tarts.

Also delicious served atop steak.

In this procedure we used a metal bowl that fits snugly on top of a saucepan, but a double boiler will also work.