Gourmet

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Spinach and Feta Phyllo Triangles

The two-step method of searing and then roasting this thick fillet is what keeps the fish succulent.

Panforte — a cross between a cake and a candy — is a classic Italian Christmas treat. It's a very dense, rich confection loaded with nuts, dried fruit, and spices (hence its name, which means "strong bread"). This recipe yields much more than you'll need for the party, but it keeps so well that you'll have delicious leftovers long after the holiday season. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Don't waste your time looking for green peas in this recipe. In Jamaica, you'll often hear kidney beans called peas. Locals consume "rice and peas" so frequently that some people say it should be on the nation's coat of arms. In this version — which Lezlene Brown, a cook at a villa in Ocho Rios, serves to guests and family — the Scotch bonnet chile is there to contribute only the merest hint of heat and to amplify the flavors of the other ingredients.

Flanes de Coco This classic Iberian dessert was introduced by the Spaniards. In the version below, coconut, which thrives in the Pacific coast state of Colima, flavors the flans. Begin making them one day ahead; they must chill overnight before serving.

When buying the dried chile for this recipe, be aware that a pasilla de Oaxaca is not the same as a regular pasilla chile. The former is smoked and has a very distinct flavor.