Crowning the season

Sunset, Dec, 1998 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

MAKES: 8 servings

2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 or 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced Salt and pepper Thin lemon slices

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add beans. Stir occasionally until tender-crisp to bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large bowl, combine oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, parsley, and garlic. Add beans and mix to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with lemon slices.

Per serving: 63 cal., 51% (32 cal.) from fat; 1.9 g protein; 3.5 g fat (0.5 g sat.); 7.6 g carbo (1.8 g fiber); 7.2 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

St. Nicholas Dried-Fruit Cake

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 4 hours

NOTES: Bake cake at least 1 day or up to 2 months ahead; cool and wrap in cheesecloth or a thin towel saturated with orange-flavor liqueur. Chill airtight, and about every 10 days, moisten cloth with more liqueur. Serve thin slices of cake plain, with vanilla ice cream topped with rum-plumped raisins, or with rum-raisin ice cream. Wrap and continue to age extra cake. MAKES: 1 cake; about 25 servings

About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 pound (2 2/3 cups) dried apricots

1/2 pound (2 cups) pecan halves

1/2 pound dried lightly sweetened pineapple

1/2 pound (2 cups) dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 pound (2 cups) dried cherries or blueberries

1/2 cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons orange-flavor liqueur

1. Lightly butter a 5- by 9-inch loaf pan. Line with cooking parchment.

2. In a bowl with a mixer, beat 1 cup butter with sugar until fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended. Beat in molasses.

4. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and allspice. Add to egg mixture; beat just until blended.

5. Set aside 6 to 8 apricots, 10 to 12 pecan halves, and 1 pineapple ring.

6. Cut remaining pineapple into 3/4-inch pieces and add to batter along with the remaining apricots and pecans and the cranberries and cherries. Stir until well mixed.

7. Scrape batter into parchment-lined pan, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; spread top level.

8. Bake in a 275 [degrees] oven until cake is firm in center when touched, about 3 hours. If it browns too rapidly, drape with foil.

9. Cool in pan on rack at least 2 1/2 hours. Lift out cake; peel off parchment.

10. Mix apricot jam with liqueur and brush over top of cake. Decoratively arrange reserved apricots, pecans, and pineapple in apricot glaze; brush more apricot jam mixture over fruit. Wrap airtight and chill at least 1 day.

Per 3 ounces: 351 cal., 38% (135 cal.) from fat; 3.6 g protein; 15 g fat (5.5 g sat.); 54 g carbo (2.8 g fiber); 105 mg sodium; 71 mg chol.

Countdown to a perfect holiday feast

* Up to 2 months ahead: Bake cake.