Nut

Pine nuts provide a buttery contrast to the tart capers in this sophisticated veal dish.

"The last time I was in Texas, where I'm from originally, I had dinner at Zuni Grill on the San Antonio Riverwalk. I felt right at home when I took a bite of the pecans in the clever, southern-style crème brûlée," says Linda M. Dunn of Sparks, Nevada."I'd like to try making it at home." Toasted pecans are sprinkled over the crème brûlée after the sugar is caramelized so that the nuts don't burn. Note that the custards can be prepared two days ahead of time. Caramelize the sugar on top of the custards up to two hours before serving, if you like.

This rich and comforting pudding is served at the floating restaurant Fregatten Sct. Georg III in Tivoli Gardens.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Some people claim that you must be Louisiana-born to master the art of making pralines—those special brown sugar and pecan patties. This cake takes an easier route: The pecans are simply coated in egg white and brown sugar, then roasted.

The nutty marzipan mixture is a delicious contrast to the sweet-tart plum filling.

Leaving a bit of skin on the eggplant adds to the pesto's texture and color. Pour a Pinot Noir or Provençal rosé with the meal.

By doctoring up a purchased brownie mix, Larry came up with a recipe that's always a hit. He claims that people are usually "stunned" at how great-tasting and easy-to-make the brownies are.

(Brutti-boni) Brutti ma buoni (which means "ugly but pretty") are cookies found in many regions of Italy, usually made from finely ground almonds in a meringue base. But the Mattei bakery, in Prato, makes them in typical Tuscan style, which is quite different. The egg whites are only beaten lightly, and the nuts are coarsely ground. They are known in the Tuscan dialect as brutti-boni.

"My grandmother, who emigrated from Sweden to the United States when she was a little girl, passed on to our family a taste for cardamom," writes Lisa Tracy of Marion, Iowa.

"Every Christmas, my grandmother's best friend, Mrs. Mack, would give me and each of my brothers just one of these cookies, large and exquisitely decorated," writes Wendy Phillips Kahn of New York, New York. "I would save mine for days and then nibble carefully to make it last. Today, it seems a little decadent to make a whole batch, yet my daughter and I love the excuse to use our extensive collection of cookie cutters, and then enjoy painting our reindeer, Christmas trees, bells, birds, and snowmen, complete with jaunty ribbons around their hats. They may not be as elegant as Mrs. Mack's, but they're a colorful highlight in gift boxes of treats." Note: One of our readers alerted us to a problem with the cover recipe for cinnamon cookies in our December 2000 issue. We forgot the eggs! In order to make the cookies properly, add 2 lightly beaten eggs after beating together the butter and sugar, mix until blended, then follow the rest of the recipe. We apologize to Mrs. Mack, Wendy Phillips Kahn, and all of our readers for this oversight. These cookies are truly delicious, and we hope that you enjoy them.

Makedonitiki Melitzanosalata Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Diane Kochilas's book The Greek Vegetarian. Kochilas also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Kochilas and Greek cuisine, click here.

The recipe calls for a pastry bag, but the meringue disks can also be formed with a spatula. If made ahead, the meringue will soften slightly from contact with the buttercream.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.