Poach

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min

This is a cozy, fireside kind of winter dessert. The lightness of the fruit and flaky phyllo balance the rich Madeira custard sauce.

Apple ice wine gets its particular sweetness and deep golden color from frozen apples: The presence of water crystals during pressing increases the sugar content of the resulting wine. Canada produces more ice wine per year than any other country. Sophisticated-looking and intensely apple-flavored, this seasonal dessert is delicious on its own or as a complement to the maple walnut bûche de Noël. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

Pae Thee Thoke Chinese long beans, also known as yard-long beans, really are long — about 18 inches.

A sophisticated dessert that is great on its own, mixed with sweet berries or used as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Light, refreshing and very sophisticated. Asian pears have a crisp texture, a round shape, and a sweet and floral aroma that's quite unlike that of the more familiar buttery "pear-shaped" pear.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Traditionally used for poaching seafood, court bouillon (French for "quick broth") is an aromatic stock made with vegetables and herbs. Wine, lemon juice, or vinegar is often added. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Eggs are a staple of the Turkish diet. An ingredient in many dishes, they are also prepared on their own as a main course for lunch or as an appetizer for dinner. Here they are poached, set on a bed of yogurt (another staple) and drizzled with a red pepper-sage butter. The red pepper that fires up Turkish cooking - a cross between paprika and dried crushed red pepper - is much more popular than black pepper, especially outside the large cities.

The Mango and Red Onion Salsa is nice alongside this low-fat entreé.

The green onion oil that is brushed on the custard cups becomes a topping once the eggs are turned out.