Cinnamon

Tina Thompson of Orlando, Florida, writes: "Food and nostalgia are closely related in my mind. When I miss my dad, I make an extra-buttery grilled-cheese sandwich just the way he would every Saturday for lunch. When I miss my college roommate Jenny, I splurge on a new ethnic food to remind me of adventures during our junior year abroad in London. Inspired by my great food experiences there, I attended a small cooking school stateside so that I could come up with some fantastic meals of my own."

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101031"Thai Curry Penne with Ginger-Tomato Chutney</epi:recipeLink>.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from chef Neil Perry's book Rockpool. Neil also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. For your convenience, we've converted the measures — with as much accuracy as possible — from Australian to American. For those who have metric equipment and wish to follow Neil's recipe to the milliliter, we've included the original measures too. This recipe is an accompaniment for Lobster, Soy Chicken, and Mango Salad . Master Stock Chicken is to me the Chinese equivalent of a beautifully roasted chicken with garlic. I find the best thing to do with the chicken the next day is to fry it.

The grill adds a sophisticated smoky quality to this dish, but you can make it from beginning to end using only the oven.

You can make a foil packet for the wood chips (see instructions), or buy a disposable aluminum pan that fits your grill.

One of Sicily's finest crops is the blood orange with its spicy-sweet flavor. But any variety of orange can be used in this Italian dessert.

While I was growing up, my mother was very good about cooking food she knew I liked (I was such a picky eater). That's why I found it inexplicable that she kept making baked acorn squash, which I considered, at best, repulsive. Once she wouldn't let me leave the table until it was all gone. No surprisingly, we sat there all night!

More supermarkets are carrying fresh rabbit, as people rediscover its delicate flavor. Braising helps to keep it moist and tender. If you have trouble finding rabbit, however, you can substitute bone-in chicken, skin removed.

This dessert is as impressive as it is simple. And any number of variations would be equally tempting. Try using a mixture of apples and pears, substituting ground ginger for the cinnamon, or sprinkling the warm tart with finely chopped pecans.

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

Canela, a Latin American cousin of cinnamon, is a leading player in this sauce. Once used by affluent Romans in love potions and perfumes, the spice, derived from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen, is hugely popular in New World cuisine, in everything from soups to desserts. This recipe is a component of Grill-Roasted Rack of Lamb in Red Mole .

Arroz con Leche Mexican cooks prefer Ceylon cinnamon, a less pungent variety than the cassia cinnamon sold in U.S. markets. In Latin American markets, it will simply be labeled canela (Spanish for "cinnamon"). In supermarkets or specialty foods stores, look for Ceylon or Sri Lanka cinnamon.

"My husband, Don, and I made dinners together when we were first getting to know each other," writes Lisa Pendelton of Pasadena, California. "I was surprised to discover that everything from food shopping to sharing in the kitchen came so naturally to him. We had a lot of great meals, and once he spent all day making me a bouillabaisse for my birthday. That's when I knew I could definitely marry him."

Creamy fresh cheese meets spinach in this Indian classic.

This dessert was inspired by my good friend and great Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme. He prepares his with sweet potatoes, which are available year-round, and hence, give his version a longer seasonal shelf life than mine. If there's anything better than pumpkin pie or pecan pie, it's the two of them together. The whiskey butter adds a thoroughly Cajun twist to this sweet ending.