Christmas

An Italian salad of squash, chicory, pancetta, and chestnuts gets an American spin from a tart cranberry vinaigrette.

Smaller brussels sprouts are especially pretty in this dish.

This punch — containing rum, Cognac, and peach brandy — is potent. If it packs a bit too much of a wallop for your taste, you can dilute it with cold black tea, a common mixer for this particular punch, or with seltzer water, for a bit of fizz. Some punch bowls may not be big enough to accommodate the size ice block we call for — feel free to use other freezing containers that are more suitably shaped. And though the block is a classic part of this recipe, you can, of course, simply serve the punch in a pitcher over ice cubes.

Charles Alfonso of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "One of my favorite local restaurants is Dish Osteria and Bar, a place I discovered a few months ago. The food is so good that I go back nearly every weekend. The best dish I've had so far is the duck with polenta and lingonberry sauce." The restaurant serves the duck with a side of rapini sautéed in garlic and olive oil.

(Hot Scandanavian Christmas Punch)

This Franco-American combination of bourbon and bubbles gives you another reason to be thankful. It doubles easily to accommodate the number of guests around your holiday table.

This refreshing, sunrise-tinted juice can be blended and chilled one day ahead.

Make hot chocolate for the kids. Top it with whipped cream and add a cinnamon stick.

This is a variation of a recipe developed by the late Patrick Clark, chef of New York's Tavern on the Green.