Shrimp Cocktail may be my favorite restaurant appetizer of all time. But it’s so easy to make at home, I can make it any time I want, and so can you.

Christmas Eve isn’t on a Saturday this year, but it is a special night deserving of a special menu, including Fettuccine Alfredo and a spectacular Chocolate Hazelnut Torte.

Fettuccine Alfredo is the perfect special occasion dish – festive and special, rich and creamy, but so simple to make it comes together in 15 minutes, so you have more time for making merry.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte is a masterpiece that tastes as decadent as it looks, with dark chocolate and hazelnuts flavoring each rich and sinful layer.

There’s more to November than turkey dinner. On this chilly Saturday night I made a big pot of warm, saucy, wine-braised beef short ribs, cheesy little crackers to start, and simple but elegant chocolate dipped oranges for dessert.

We had the most addictive, tender, flaky, cheesy little Cheddar crackers in the luxurious cocktail bar at the Goring Hotel in London. Until we can return, I’ll be making this copycat version at home.

Chocolate-Dipped Mandarin Oranges are the easiest showstopper dessert ever – three simple steps to make, gorgeous to look at, a tantalizing contrast of juicy/smooth textures and an explosion of sweet/tart flavors.

These are quiet days at home, trying to appreciate what’s good about life right now – like a soul-warming seasonal feast of spiced pecans, prosciutto-wrapped pork loin and pumpkin-spiced icebox cake.

Garlic and rosemary infuse this tender pork loin with flavor as it roasts, but it’s the crispy, salty prosciutto scattered over the top that makes the dish.

We took a day trip to Newport on a sparkling early fall Saturday, but were home in time for an evening on the deck and an easy/special menu of grilled chicken, salad, and an intoxicating vanilla-scented peach crisp.