Candy Thermometer

This recipe makes more ice cream than you'll need to fill the cones (see Coconut Tuile Cones with Passion-Fruit Ice Cream recipe), but it's so delicious you'll have no trouble getting rid of the leftovers. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

"On a trip to Longboat Key in Florida, my fiancé and I ate at Pattigeorge's," writes Wendy J. Harbart of Forest Hills, New York. "The five-spice calamari was out of this world."

Don't let the unexciting name of the recipe fool you—this ice cream is unusually good. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 hr

In Italy this classic peasant soup is known as aquacotta, or "cooked water."

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min It seems like people have been making fun of the railroad for as long as we can remember, but no one jokes about the French toast that used to be served on the Santa Fe line. The train might have run late, but when indulging in a breakfast like this, who cared?

This recipe is an accompaniment for Meringue Napoleons with Lime Ice Cream and Blackberries .

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Everything's ready: The pumpkin is carved, the costumes are made, and the front yard is looking absolutely frightful. All that's missing from this Halloween scene is something sweet—for the kids, of course. How about caramel apples? You could make them, and then the kids could help with the decorating. That would be a great way to introduce them to one of your childhood favorites. After all, you’re much too mature these days to take a big, sticky bite out of a succulently sweet caramel apple, but the kids will devour them. And at least they’ll be eating apples — even if they are coated with delicious caramel, and even if they are decorated with chocolate and nuts and sprinkles. Our resident candy expert and senior food editor, Sarah Tenaglia, developed an easy recipe for the caramel, and she outlined straightforward steps to follow while making it. She also came up with all sorts of decorating ideas. Perfect. Now you have everything you need for Halloween — for the kids, of course. Making the caramel requires the use of a clip-on candy thermometer, which should be tested for accuracy before starting. Attach it to the side of a medium saucepan of water, and boil the water for three minutes. The thermometer should register 212°F; if it doesn’t, take the difference into account when reading the temperature.

This sophisticated appetizer from Aqua in San Francisco is nice for a special occasion.

To recall the miracle of Hanukkah, dishes fried in oil are prepared during the holiday festivities. The mother of our executive editor used to dazzle her family with these cookies-each one slightly different from the next.

These twice-fried artichokes, or carciofi alla giudea, are made using a technique created by Jewish cooks in Rome. The first frying is done at a lower heat and simply cooks the artichokes. The second frying, in hotter oil, causes the leaves to spring open and gives them their crisp finish. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 55 min

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Nougat is an egg white, honey and nut confection traditional in the city of Montélimar, in the Rhône Valley. It is one of the 13 sweets offered to churchgoers on Christmas Eve. Start making this impressive dessert at least one day before you plan to serve it, although it can be prepared up to one week ahead.