Chestnut

Active time: 1 hr. Start to finish: 1 hr.

Chinese chestnuts are quite common in the cuisine of northern China; they also appear in the food of Shanghai. These sweet meats, which are smaller than their European cousins, are used in many braised dishes and casseroles. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

The griddled persimmon cakes we had with duck in Xi'an inspired this salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This turkey is roasted in true French fashion with black truffles and shallots. Prepare the truffle butter and rub it over the turkey the day before roasting. A red Burgundy complements the earthy truffle flavor.

An Asian treatment of chestnuts that will be right at home with all your side dishes.

Though the truffles lend a wonderfully rich flavor to the shrimp, they are fairly costly, so you might want to save this dish for special occasions.

You can easily recreate this recipe with a wonderful free-range chicken. As for the candied chestnuts, I recommend using freshly cooked, shelled chestnuts which are still quite sweet!

A little oil in this bûche de noel helps keep it pliable even when cool—perfect for rolling the Yule log shape.

The gelatin in the mousse stabilizes it, so you can make and fill the roll a day ahead without worrying about it weeping or deflating.