Custard

(BONET) This Piedmont specialty is made with two of the region's best-known products: chocolate and amaretti cookies. Begin preparing the dessert a day before serving. A slightly sparkling, floral and fruity Moscato d'Asti would complement it beautifully.

From the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona.

This version of clafouti is like a custard.

These custards are inspired by the Japanese egg custard chawan mushi, made with dashi broth (a stock of dried kelp and dried bonito flakes). We've used chicken broth for simplicity, but any broth or stock that you have on hand will work fine. Steaming the custards gives them a delicate texture, which is enhanced by the spare use of solid ingredients (the shrimp, scallion, and mushrooms).

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

This is it, the decadent pie that seduced the seductive Marilyn Monroe. She simply couldn't get enough of it. Patch brought this recipe with him from Arkansas, where it was named for his sister Milton.

This surprisingly rich-tasting custard has much less fat than the classic version made with egg yolks. In another twist, we call for vin santo instead of the conventional choice, Marsala.

"On our honeymoon in Hawaii, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at Princeville Resort's La Cascata restaurant on Kauai's north shore," writes Jamie Smietan of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. "I tried the crème brûlée which had a rich coffee flavor. A copy of the recipe would be the perfect souvenir." Begin preparing this a day before you plan to serve it. The sugar is caramelized quickly under the broiler, but a small blowtorch (made for the kitchen) would work well, too.

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.

Just a few short years ago, crème brûlée was found only in four-star French retaurants. Now almost everybody makes one using a favorite and often exotic flavoring. This ice-cold custard with the crackling sugar top is the most popular dessert at my restaurant. So much so that I sometimes think it is the only dessert I should make. Perhaps it is the ease of preparation that makes me think so!