Gabrielle Hamilton

A quick pickling gives the shrimp a bright, tangy flavor. Timing note: The shrimp need to chill in the pickling mixture for three to six hours before serving.

Roasting the pork at a low temperature in a spiced salt mixture amps up the flavor of the meat and makes it extra-tender. After cooking the pork, the rack of bones is cut off and used to hold the roast for easy carving.

Paper-thin slices of fennel, juicy grapefruit segments, and fresh parsley and mint make a beautiful winter salad. Using a V-slicer to cut the fennel helps the easy side dish come together even more quickly.

This combination of several different varieties of roasted onions, crunchy croutons, and melted cheese is great with the pork.

The custard needs to be refrigerated overnight before it's processed in the ice cream maker, so plan accordingly.

Tarte Tatin, the classic French dessert, is made by putting butter and sugar in a shallow baking dish, then topping the mixture with apples and a pastry crust. As the dish bakes, the butter and sugar turn into caramel. The finished dessert is inverted onto a plate, with the caramel sauce on top. In this version, pears stand in for apples and the crust and topping are made separately, then assembled before serving.

Tender slices of sweet roasted yam are topped with a tangy Dijon dressing—and a scattering of addictive fried yam skins.

This recipe yields extra gingerbread — enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee.

Start this at least one day before serving.

There will be a bit of pistachio paste left over: stir it into your next batch of brownies.

It's all about the interplay between cake, syrup, and pears in this sophisticated dessert. The rosemary syrup would also be delicious in a cup of tea.