European

Adapted from L'Ardoise Serve this play on the classic escargots à la bourguignonne with lots of crusty bread to mop up the flavorful butter. The snails come in 7-ounce cans, so you'll have leftovers. You might want to consider making escargots à la Bourguignonne with the leftover snails.

It doesn’t look or taste like it, but this pizza is low-fat. Each slice has just 346 calories and 4 1/2 grams of fat.

Zucchini gives a summery twist to the classic leek-and-potato soup; this new take on an old favorite is served at Quisiana.

Boeuf bourguignon may be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered (it tastes even better made ahead because it gives the flavors time to develop). If making ahead, it's easier to remove fat from surface after chilling.

For best results, use Bosc pears: They hold their shape well when baked. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

(OMELETTE AUX ASPERGES)

This do-ahead brunch dish makes excellent use of leftover bread. Add a layer of salsa and Monterey Jack cheese for a Southwest flair; or replace the sausage and sun-dried tomatoes with some sautéed onions and Gruyère cheese for a French twist.

"I had a delightful dinner at Andiamo! Ristorante while on vacation in San Diego," writes Laverne Smith of Seattle, Washington. "Could you get their recipe for fettuccine carbonara? It was the best pasta I've ever had." Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the fettuccine will be hot when the sauce is finished; the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs that are tossed with it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is a lovely, low-fat version of a classic English fruit dessert.

This is a simple recipe for a wonderful bûche de Noël. The cake is a bit heartier than the typical genoise, which suits my taste, and the hint of cinnamon gives it an aromatic layer of flavor. You may change and adjust flavorings, drizzle the cake with a rum or a sugar syrup flavored with vanilla after it's cooled, or do any number of things to make it your own.

Steamed cauliflower florets, broccoli florets and carrot slices are mixed with olives and tossed with a sun-dried tomato and oregano vinaigrette in this Italian-inspired starter "from the garden."

The bold flavors of Spain's famous paella-sausage, seafood and saffron-meet the luscious, creamy texture of Italy's risotto in this beautiful rice dish. Pour a chilled dry white wine during dinner, and offer flan for dessert.

These crunchy cookies are a new version of classic Mandelbrot, which means almond bread in German. Here, recipe tester Selma Brown Morrow uses hazelnuts instead of the usual almonds. To add an elegant look, she dips the cookies into melted chocolate and seals them in holiday bags.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this zesty pasta with a salad of tossed winter greens sprinkled with shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese, and a basket of seeded country Italian bread. Finish with orange sorbet and chocolate biscotti.

(Pasta con Ragù di Vitello, Salsicce e Porcini) Ragù is a beloved part of Tuscan cooking. Every person has his or her own recipe, but the basics are constant: It is a hearty sauce made with meat (beef, pork, veal, duck, even boar) and vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and onions, all cooked in wine and broth. And ragù is most often served over pasta. This recipe includes dried porcini mushrooms, which give the sauce a real taste of the Tuscan countryside.