1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or just until butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately remove pan from heat, and stir in pecans. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and sugar.

2. Bake pecans at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Sprinkle with rosemary. Bake 2 more minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container.

1. Shave carrots into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Cut fennel and onion into very thin slices using a mandoline. Place carrots, fennel, and onion in a large bowl; add ice water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. Combine edamame, peas, 2 Tbsp. Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pick crabmeat, removing any bits of shell. Gently toss crab with red bell pepper and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain carrot mixture well. Divide pea mixture among 12 small plates; top with carrot mixture, salad greens, and crabmeat mixture. Drizzle with remaining Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette just before serving.

1. Finely grate garlic into mayonnaise using a fine grater or zester. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

2. Beat cream at high speed with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Add mayonnaise mixture, and beat until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately with assorted vegetables, or cover and chill up to 1 day.

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; cut cream cheese and cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.

3. Combine yeast mixture and buttermilk, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 6 to 8 times (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), sprinkling with up to 1/4 cup additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps once. Arrange biscuits on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake at 400° for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Remove skin from ham, and trim fat to 1/4-inch thickness. Make shallow cuts in fat 1 inch apart in a diamond pattern. Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan; add ginger ale and bourbon to pan. Cover loosely with foil.

2. Bake, covered, at 325° for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into ham registers 140°, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.

3. Stir together brown sugar and next 4 ingredients. Remove ham from oven; uncover and sprinkle sugar mixture over ham, lightly pressing mixture into fat.

4. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is browned and a meat thermometer registers 145°. Transfer ham to a cutting board, and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add shallot, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in figs and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in preserves and thyme. Cool 30 minutes. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. (If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving.)

Let cheese and butter come to room temperature. Stir together cheese, butter, and remaining ingredients with a fork until thoroughly blended. Serve immediately. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

1. Pulse first 3 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add watercress and next 3 ingredients; process until finely chopped.

2. Spread 1 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture onto each bread slice. Top with assorted vegetable slices and herbs in a single layer, pressing lightly. Trim crusts from bread. Cut each bread slice into 4 squares or 2 rectangles.

Try These Twists:

Goat Cheese Canapés: Omit watercress and parsley. Reduce cream cheese to 4 oz. Add 1 (4-oz.) goat cheese log, softened, with cream cheese and 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme with salt in Step 1. Top with: candy-cane beets and chives, or sliced squash and salmon caviar.

Bacon-and-Olive Canapés: Omit salt. Substitute 1/2 cup green olives, chopped, and 6 cooked and crumbled bacon slices for watercress and parsley. Add salt to taste. Top with: sliced grape tomatoes and hard-cooked eggs, or basil leaves, celery, and radishes.

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large glass bowl. Cook cream and bourbon in a small saucepan over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is hot but not boiling. (Mixture will steam, and bubbles will form around edge of pan.) Pour cream mixture over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute.

2. Stir chocolate mixture until melted and smooth. (If mixture doesn't melt completely, microwave at HIGH 30 seconds.) Stir in crushed cookies. Cover and chill 3 hours or until firm. (Mixture can be prepared and chilled up to 2 days ahead.)

3. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls (about 2 tsp. per ball). Roll in chopped pecans. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheets. Chill 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Place mint leaves and syrup in a chilled julep cup, and muddle. Pack cup tightly with crushed ice; add bourbon and mint sprig.

1. Mint Syrup: Boil 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add 15 fresh mint sprigs, and cool completely. Cover and chill 24 hours. Strain syrup; discard solids.

2. Grapefruit-Honey Syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, reducing sugar to 1/2 cup and stirring 3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice, 1/2 cup honey, 3 (2- x 4-inch) grapefruit rind strips, and rind from 1 lime, cut into strips, into sugar mixture with mint. For julep, muddle with 1 small grapefruit rind strip.

3. Peach-Basil Syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, substituting basil for mint and stirring 2 (5.5-oz.) cans peach nectar and 1 split vanilla bean into sugar mixture with basil. For julep, muddle with 1 peach slice.

4. Blackberry Syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, adding 6 oz. fresh blackberries, halved, with mint. For julep, muddle with 2 fresh blackberries.

5. Pineapple-Lemongrass Syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, reducing granulated sugar to 1 cup, adding 1/2 cup light brown sugar to granulated sugar and water, and stirring 1 cup pineapple juice, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and 3 (3-inch) pieces fresh lemongrass into sugar mixture with mint after removing from heat. For julep, muddle with 1 small fresh pineapple chunk.