This buttery cake slathered with rich caramel icing has earned local fame on Chicago’s South Side—it’s one of our favorites to make for special occasions.

Baked with cheese and bacon, this warm corn casserole is sure to go quick at any holiday buffet.

Olive oil is used three ways in this version of the venerable Italian soup: for sauteing garlic, rubbing on the toasts that accompany the dish, and finishing the soup. See the recipe for Tuscan Bean Soup »

Khoya, a rich curd made by reducing milk for several hours, forms the base for these syrup-soaked confections.

Our version of this classic uses peeled garlic; after removing the chicken from the pan, keep cooking the garlic until the cloves have all but melted. Then, a quick spin with a whisk makes a smooth sauce well worth the effort of all that peeling. Get the recipe for Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic »

Hungarian sweet paprika confers a singularly deep, rich color and flavor to a classic beef stew. See the recipe for Hungarian Goulash »

The secret to the shimmering roux that tops this classic German roast is a pinch of sugar; it gilds the gravy as it balances the lemon and pickling spices in the dish. Get the recipe for Sauerbraten »

Ham, eggs, and cheese are natural partners; along with dried mustard, these ingredients combine for some of the finest souffles around. The souffles will begin to deflate minutes after you take them out of the oven, so bring them to the table as soon as they’re done. See the recipe for Ham and Cheese Souffles »

Fresh coconut and its sweet water are the keys to this cake, passed down from former associate food editor Ben Mims’ grandmother, Jane Newson. A handy rotary coconut grater produces snow-like coconut flakes, but a hand grater works well too. ** See the recipe for Coconut Cake »

A crunchy cookie crust contrasts with cool, pudding-like filling in a showstopper of a dessert that keeps well in the fridge. Get the recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie »

This over-the-top Americanized paella gets its smoky kick from paprika and chorizo. See the recipe for Paella Mixta (Mixed Paella) »

The smoked trout that tops these mini pancakes gets a slight kick from cayenne pepper. See the recipe for Smoked Trout Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Dill »

Pounding the chicken cutlets before cooking renders them thin and terrifically tender. Deglazing the pan with Marsala and stock after cooking the chicken creates a quick, rich sauce.

Corn or flour tortillas that are deep-fried until they puff are a specialty of San Antonio’s Tex-Mex cuisine.

Famed Texas cook Helen Corbitt created this rich chicken salad for the cafe menu at Neiman Marcus department stores in the 1950s. It’s delicious on toasted multigrain bread with lettuce and tomato.

Made with confit duck legs, pork belly, and two kinds of sausage, this meaty, resplendently rich cassoulet is worth treasuring all winter. Get the recipe for Dominique Ansel’s Cassoulet »

Rich, sweet Norwegian salmon and briny mussels are served in an elegant broth subtly seasoned with saffron, fennel, and tarragon. See the recipe for Poached Salmon with Saffron Sauce »

Luscious, wine-enriched bordelaise sauce is often paired with hanger steak, shell steak, and tender filet mignon. Though the sauce is traditionally served with a dollop of beef marrow, we think it is just as delicious with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley and rosemary. See the recipe for Filet Mignon with Bordelaise Sauce »