An utterly decadent caramel fills this wonderfully rich tart. And the use of salted butter gives the dessert the right amount of salt to balance the sweet.

Gorgonzola dolce is paired with pears and spiced walnuts, a favorite flavor trio in Lombardy. Roasting the pears brings out their sweetness anytime of year.

Perfumed with cinnamon and saffron, this fragrant rice dish elevates everything it comes in contact with, whether a simple roast chicken or spiced kebabs.

The combination of peppers, both sweet and hot, lemon zest, cilantro, cinnamon, and cumin make these plump oysters something special.

These mini airy puffs are made with sharp Cheddar cheese and chives. For a little bit of spice and heat, dry mustard and cayenne pepper are mixed in.

The secret to this intensely flavored mushroom risotto is not only are mushrooms part of the mix, but the risotto is cooked with mushroom-flavored broth.

This turkey meatloaf is made from ground turkey, chopped vegetables and is brushed with a tangy bbq sauce. Leftover turkey meatloaf makes great sandwiches.

This gratin is flavored with sharp Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses and smoky bits of bacon. Use other pasta besides elbow macaroni for a different look.

This Chinese pork dish uses pork belly (fresh bacon) that’s first braised and then steamed. The double cooking makes the pork belly amazingly tender and supple.

Pizzoccheri is a hearty flat buckwheat noodle found in the Lombardy region of Italy. The noodles are tossed in a butter sauce of cheese, onion, and sage.

Trennette, a long, narrow, flat pasta noodle similar to pappardelle, is tossed in a simple sauce of spicy, garlicky oil. On top is a scattering of parsley.

Pasta shells are tossed in a Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese sauce that’s studded with chopped pistachios. The shells hold the cheese sauce wonderfully.

Lidia’s mother’s recipe calls for pieces of chicken breast and legs to be seared with bacon, peppers, potatoes, onions and seasoned with fresh rosemary.

Soft pillows of different flavors–cauliflower and caviar, smoked salmon, and blue cheese and walnuts–are pipped into spoons for these elegant bites.

Olives are stuffed with a spicy beef mixture and then simmered in a piquant harissa-spiked tomato sauce. The stuffed olives make a lovely party nibble.

The martinez–a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters–is a subtle, spicy cocktail that’s perfectly blended and balanced.

The classic cocktail–the Manhattan–is a combination of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. A lemon peel or maraschino cherry garnishes the glass beautifully.

The gimlet is a cocktail that has caused much disagreement. Fresh lime juice, bottled, or, in this case, a combination of both? A great year-round drink.

Gravadlax, or gravlax, is thinly slice and mounded on squares of brown bread. It’s easy to cure your own gravlax at home. All you need are salt, sugar, and spices–and, of course, salmon.

These cheesy, buttery crackers are filled with cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, a bit of dry mustard, and a hint of cayenne pepper for heat.

Sassfras, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and anise found in root beer enhance the smoky, saltiness goodness of this glazed ham. It’s is an ideal holiday meal.

Known as tournedos Rossini, these cuts of beef filet are topped with a slice of seared foie gras and drizzled with an unctuous Madeira wine-truffle sauce.

Soft, warm sweet buns are riddled with cinnamon and drizzled with luscious cream cheese-buttermilk glaze for extra enjoyment at breakfast.

The classic Negroni–a mix of Campari, vermouth, and gin–was supposedly named for Count Camillo Negroni. Here the drink is lightened by adding sparkling wine.

This honey spice bread, filled with fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, candied ginger, and, of course, honey, is a great gingerbread alternative.