It’s that time of year again. As the holiday season winds down, the reality of winter sets in, and with that comes a bout of culinary wanderlust. Over-sated and over-stimulated with the goodies and activity of Christmas past, it’s now time for comfort and warmth.

Satisfying, fragrant soups and stews, heady with spice, tease the senses and hint of sunny far-flung destinations. You might call it escapism or a craving for carefree ease and simplicity, but I can’t think of a better way to greet January head-on.

This curry is rich, bright and bursting with flavor. It’s also easy to make and extremely versatile. You can add additional vegetables to the stew, such as carrot and cauliflower. Be sure to taste a small piece of the jalapeno before adding it to the stew, since they can vary in heat. Remember that their heat is concentrated in the membranes of the pepper, so remove or include the membranes to suit your taste. A squeeze of lime juice is essential to brightening the stew and giving it a little kick of acidity.

Best of all, this dish can be prepared in 30 minutes, which leaves you just enough time to cook some rice to serve with the stew.

Shrimp Curry

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated fresh peeled ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

1 (28-ounce) can chopped Italian plum tomatoes

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, each quarter sliced in 1/2-inch pieces

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)

Cooked basmati rice for serving

Lime wedges for serving

Heat the oil in a deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and zucchini. Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and are just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro, lime juice, salt and black pepper and taste for seasoning. If desired, add 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar to balance the flavor.

Ladle into bowls with cooked basmati rice. Garnish with additional cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

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Yes, that's potato gratins in the plural, not singular. Sure, you can make one big gratin, but these little gratins are very cute in their individual ramekins, and they are also elegantly and cleverly portioned. This ensures that you will be less likely to find yourself gobbling up half a baking dish of gratineed potatoes or wrestling your child for the last crunchy cheesy corner stuck to the baking dish. Just saying -- it's been known to happen.

There’s nothing more appealing and comforting than a bubbling casserole of cheesy potatoes in the winter. The ingredients are few and simple. Sour cream lends a bright tang to the cheesy richness of the gratin. Yukon gold potatoes are buttery, creamy and versatile, and hold their shape once cooked, so the gratin won’t turn to mush.

And then there’s the cheese: An authentic Gruyere cheese is the best choice for this cold-weather dish. Gruyere hails from the Swiss Alps, and if any food culture can do wintery food and cheese well, it’s the Swiss. Their alpine cheese is nutty, sweet and piquant, a byproduct of their very happy cows nibbling on the flora in the mountain meadows. Choose an aged Gruyere if you can, because it will have a little more salt and earthiness in its flavor.

A key to making these gratins is to slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. A mandolin works best for this task, but you can also carefully cut the potatoes with a knife. Keep the skins on for extra nutrients -- just be sure to give the potatoes a good scrubbing before slicing. This recipe can also be prepared in a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Just remember to share.

Potato Gratins

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Unsalted butter

16 ounces full-fat sour cream

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 pounds small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, washed, very thinly sliced, about 1/8-inch thick

8 ounces grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8 (3/4-cup) ramekins.

Whisk the sour cream, garlic, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl.

Arrange two layers of potatoes, slightly overlapping, in the ramekins. Spread a layer of sour cream over the potatoes to cover, and then top with a sprinkling of cheese. Repeat the layering process, occasionally sprinkling with a pinch of salt and pepper, until the ramekins are full, gently pressing down on each layer. Finish with a layer of sour cream and grated cheese.

Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, and the tops are brown and bubbling, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. (If the tops brown before the potatoes are fully cooked, lightly cover with foil to prevent burning.)

Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

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Are you still unsure of what to make for a party dessert this season? Try this light and luscious semifreddo, topped with a compote of port-wine poached figs. Fragrant with orange and spice, it's reminiscent of English Christmas puddings and mulled wine.

A semifreddo is an elegant frozen Italian concoction of whipped cream and meringue, which, in this preparation, is flecked with toasted almonds and orange zest. Each bite is ethereal, melting on the tongue in a light and airy poof. For a little extra sweetness (it's Christmas after all), a shard of caramelized almond praline crowns the dessert.

The beauty of this recipe is that each component may be prepared at least a day in advance, so all that you need to do is assemble it when you are ready to serve, which is a perfect gift to the cook when entertaining.

Orange Almond Semifreddo With Port-Wine Poached Figs

Active Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus cooling and freezing time

Yield: Serves 8

Semifreddo:

3/4 cup whole almonds

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Pinch of salt

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1 teaspoon orange liqueur, such as Cointreau

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Figs Compote:

16 dried figs, stems removed, halved if large

3/4 cup port wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau

Zest and juice of 1/2 orange

Praline:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Prepare the semifreddo:

Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic, leaving a 3-inch overhang.

Place the almonds and the 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the orange zest and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until they begin to hold soft peaks. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the cream, orange liqueur and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cream until no traces are visible. Gently fold the almonds into the egg whites until evenly distributed. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover tightly with plastic. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.

Prepare the figs:

Combine all of the compote ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the figs are soft but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and cool completely in the liquid; discard the cinnamon stick. (Figs may be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until use. Bring to room temperature to serve.)

Prepare the praline:

Heat the sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until it melts, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sugar turns amber in color. Add the almonds and sea salt and stir quickly to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and spread into a thin layer. Do not touch with your fingers. Cool completely. Break into small pieces.

Serve:

When ready to serve, remove the semifreddo from the loaf pan. Working quickly, cut in 3/4-inch slices and arrange on serving plates or shallow bowls. Spoon figs and a little juice over the semifreddo and garnish with praline shards. Serve immediately.

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