Ginger

Improv: Skip the maple syrup and chopped ginger and add a couple of teaspoons of fresh lime juice.

A new take on carrot cake.

Without the ice cream and served warm, these make a great brunch dish.

For subtle spice in this Asian-inspired soup, use half a red chile; add a whole chile for a good punch of heat.

Although major brands of crystallized ginger list only sugar and ginger in the ingredients, crystallized ginger cannot be purchased with kosher-for-Passover certification. If you choose to omit this ingredient, increase the fresh ginger by one teaspoon and add 2 extra teaspoons of honey. This recipe is best served within a few hours of preparation.

A whole fish, representing abundance, is almost always included on the celebratory Chinese table. Ours is flavored only lightly, with ginger and scallions, so as not to overpower the fresh taste of the fish. We developed an oven-steaming method to free up space on your stovetop for soup and stir-fries.

For a festive, interactive meal, serve our version of the Aloha State's take on curried chicken. Let your guests customize their plates with a choice of toppings — from toasted coconut to fresh pineapple. Some editors preferred it with the optional sugar, others did not. The choice is yours.

The stacking and Asian fusion of this dish is very 1990s. But don't worry about its trendiness: Heady wallops of curry and ginger make this beautiful preparation timeless.

Holiday spices and molasses give these chocolate truffles seasonal charm.

A perfect ending to a holiday meal, these gorgeous golden orbs are remarkably refreshing. And they will remind you why, in days past, good little children often found oranges hidden in the toes of their Christmas stockings.

There's a layer of chocolate between the cookie-like crust and the rich filling of this sophisticated spin on the traditional pecan pie.

This fresh side is a delicious alternative to cranberry sauce.

A spicy spin on the Cosmo.

Watch out, pumpkin pie! This dessert is delicious even without a caloric crust. It's a light and flavorful soufflé consisting mostly of egg whites, a great source of high-quality protein. To further up the health quotient, naturally rich but low-calorie unsweetened soy milk is used in place of whole milk.

Fresh ginger and yellow mustard seeds make these sweet potatoes much more worldly than their candied incarnations. The cilantro takes them in an unexpected but very welcome direction.

This quick dish has all the deep, exciting flavors of Southeast Asia. The curry paste already has lemongrass in it, so don't worry if you can't find fresh: It will still be delicious without it.