Nut

This is the baked terrine I like to make for Sunday lunch, served with all the traditional trimmings of roast vegetables, steamed greens, and Yorkshire puddings . Leftovers can be reheated and served midweek with gravy, steamed green beans, and a generous spoonful of horseradish on the side.

Whether you're preparing for a casual dinner party or snacks for the office, our Spicy Soy Nut-Pretzel Mix can be made in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap for up to a day. Truth be told, we don't think it will last that long at your house—this addictive snack tends to disappear quickly!

Nutritional note from Junelle Lupianai: "This bar is a perfect mid-afternoon snack to bring with you to work or for your children." The oats and cereal provide whole-grain goodness, and the nuts and seeds provide plant protein and fat. Flaxseed meal is included here for its nutritional punch, but it’s optional.

Boiled peanuts, perhaps more than any other Southern snack, inspire a kind of intense cultural loyalty, one that crosses all lines of class and race. That may be why we missed them so when we moved away from Charleston to colleges in Massachusetts, and it's why, when we began to sell Southern foods by mail order after college (our liberal arts degrees be damned), we used the boiled peanut as the keystone in our little mail-order foods catalogue, which we named "The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue" (boiledpeanuts.com). Boiled peanuts are associated with the outdoors, and can be purchased in the Charleston area by the side of the road from vendors set up in vacant lots and sandy strips on the way to the beach, adjacent to the ballpark, or at fairgrounds. They are prepared in homes as well, but rarely seen in a restaurant setting (with a few exceptions these days: Hubee-D's, Hominy Grill, The Bar at Husk, and The Wreck). Like the ungainly name, the damp boiled peanut itself presents a few obstacles to universal enjoyment. Not everyone likes their distinctive grassy flavor or the clammy wetness on the fingers as one picks them apart—and they achieve some exclusivity by being challenging in that respect. Judged on flavor alone, with an open mind, they are divine. And the smell of peanuts boiling is, to us, part of the pleasure of the process. Our grandmother's landlady, the late Elizabeth Jenkins Young, once remarked to us (in her sonorous variant of the Charleston accent, with a sea island cadence from an upbringing on Edisto Island) that the smell of our peanuts boiling on Gran's stove reminded her of a "sweet potato gone sour." Not that she didn't like them; she proudly displayed her I BRAKE FOR BOILED PEANUTS bumper sticker in the back window of the blue VW Rabbit she won at the 1983 Spoleto Festival auction. But the earthy quality of the peanut, which grows underground and is full of minerals, and the sweetness of it, does in fact suggest the basic character of a sweet potato. When peanuts are freshly dug, and refrigerated like a fresh vegetable rather than dried, they are called "green" peanuts; and these, when available (usually in the summer months and into the fall), are worth seeking out for their extra tenderness—cut about 4 hours off the boiling time below—and subtlety of flavor. Some green peanuts will be slightly immature, and like a soft-shell crab, may be eaten whole, shell and all.

Rice sticks are a magic trick in a bag: Crumble them into hot oil and they poof instantly into crispy, twisty little morsels of browned, puffed rice—ready in seconds to serve as a crunchy topping for bite-sized pieces of quick-cooked chicken, broccoli, and almonds.

A plate of fresh herbs is served at most Persian meals, often taking the place of a salad. Serve this dish as an appetizer, or do as the Persians do and leave it on the table throughout the meal. Toasted spices and olive oil poured over the cheese add a warming boost of flavor.

To make this creamy shake, blitz together Medjool dates, yogurt, vanilla, and cinnamon with ice and water, then top it with toasted nuts and seeds.

If using skin-on hazelnuts, rub them inside a clean kitchen towel after they've been toasted—the skins will slip right off. Serve the fish with a lightly dressed butter lettuce and herb salad.

Parve Ellen: These filled pastries, tri-cornered to mimic Haman's hat and served during Purim celebrations, were a source of conflict in the Kassoff family growing up. Mom didn't give in to her children's entreaties not to buy any filled with prunes or poppy seeds, so a grabfest would occur amongst my brothers and me to see who could get to the apricot-filled ones first.

And who, pray tell, is this exotic culinary adventuress named Bella? My eight-year-old Portuguese water dog. For a long time now, she's loved carrots. She literally comes running every time she hears the carrot peeler come out of the drawer. My husband and I thought, "Hmm, that's different for a dog," and played the approving parents. Recently, she's expanded her palate to sweet potatoes. No sooner do they hit the counter than she's singing and dancing around my feet. I quarter and square off the potatoes and fling the ends at her, and she's been known to get some serious hang time as she leaps for them. Seriously, Air Bud's got nothing on Bella. Maybe she heard about how healthful sweet potatoes are: their natural sweetness is perfectly balanced with high fiber content, slowing the rush of sugar into the bloodstream, which is great for the vascular system, and for mood. My experience says that's true; whenever I make this salad, Bella's awfully happy.

If your Marcona almonds haven't already been oiled and salted, add another 1 tablespoon oil when toasting.

Sweet and citrusy with a touch of heat, this side dish would also be a great match for roast chicken or pork.

A twist on bananas Foster, this parfait is made with rye instead of rum and finished with caramelized-maple pecans. The parfaits can be made ahead and look great layered in freezer-proof rocks glasses or mason jars.

This version of white gazpacho, traditionally made with green grapes, is brightened with the addition of green apple.

Parchment paper is a lifesaver when making this rustic tart. Use it when rolling out the tender, delicate crust (it'll keep it from sticking), then use it to fold over the edges of the galette.

This simple salad gets extra flavor from finely grated hazelnuts.

Using an egg white adds crunch without calories.

The icebox has gone the way of the horse and buggy, but it didn't disappear before lending its name to the original concept of the slice-and-bake cookie. A roll of this flavorful dough—chock-full of pistachios, cranberries, and oats—in the freezer or fridge is like money in the bank. Impromptu party? Friends drop by unexpectedly? No problem! Just cut off the slices you need, bake them up, and the aroma alone will drive people crazy before they even get a chance to take a bite. You can gussy them up with a drizzle of chocolate, a dusting of shiny sanding sugar, or just leave them be. We expect you'll use this recipe as a template for a year-round supply of creative dough logs: Sour cherries and pecans, golden raisins and walnuts, chopped dates and pine nuts, or just plain chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Holiday Cookie Craze. Menu also includes Coconut Macaroon Sandwiches with Lime Curd and Salted Brown Butter Cookies .

Green beans have a certain suave, slender elegance that makes them a classic accompaniment to rosy-red roast beef. But too often, they get short shrift: a quick drizzle of butter, a squirt of lemon, and onto the table they go. We suggest you coddle them a little this year. Try tossing them in a hot skillet with shallots and pecans that get caramelized in buttery brown sugar, and you'll see just how special green beans can be. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Christmas Classic. Menu also includes Herb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and Pinot Noir Jus and Tiramisu Yule Log .

Try something new this year. Slivered almonds and sun-dried tomatoes add a delicious twist to this stuffing recipe that’s the perfect pair for a moist roasted turkey.