Warm up with this Moroccan style winter stew

Lightly coat the beef cubes with flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.

Pour the vegetable oil into a large casserole and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the beef cubes, being careful not to crowd the pan. Brown the meat well on all sides. Add the garlic and onions and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.

Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits sticking to the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn off the heat under the pan while you strain the tomatoes (reserving any juice in the can), and give the tomatoes a rough chop.

Add the beef stock, seeded tomatoes and reserved juice, rosemary, thyme, the bay leaf, turmeric, cinnamon, harissa, paprika, and cumin. Turn the heat to medium high, bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook about 1/2 hour or until the meat is tender. (If you like, you can also slide the casserole into the oven and cook the stew there at 250°F.)

While the meat is cooking prepare the pearl onions. Fill a 2-quart saucepan half full of water and place over high heat. Bring water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and carefully slide in the onions. Boil the onions until they're tender and the skins slip off easily, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on how big the onions are. Drain the onions in a colander set over a bowl or sink. When they're cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

When the meat is tender, spoon the chunks from the casserole with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Reduce the remaining sauce over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until is has the consistency of gravy, about 10 minutes. Skim off any visible fat then strain the sauce over the meat, discarding any solids. Return the meat and the sauce to the casserole.

Add carrots and cooked onions to the casserole and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add turnips, green beans, and peas. Simmer an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the remaining salt and the pepper, taste and add a bit more salt and pepper if you like. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with chopped chervil.

First peel the oranges. Cut the orange in half along its equator and then cut into quarters. (I like to do this in a big wooden bowl to catch all the juice.) Cut thin slices of each quarter — each piece of orange in the salad will be a quarter of an orange wheel. Reserve any juice you can to toss into the salad.

Wash the fennel and remove green stalks and any bruised or discolored outer leaves. With a chef's knife slice across the bulb as thinly as possible or use a mandoline. Add the fennel slices to the bowl with the orange segments. Add the shallots and halved Kalamata olives to the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt. When you're ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing over the orange mixture and toss gently. Transfer the salad to a colorful bowl or platter. You can either grind black pepper over the salad or sprinkle it with cracked pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease or spray two 12-cup muffin tins with vegetable or canola oil. (You can also use just one tin and bake the batter in two batches.) Wipe out excess oil with a paper towel. Set the tin aside.

Grate chocolate or chop it into small shards with a chef's knife or a serrated knife. (It's easiest if you begin at a corner, particularly if the chocolate is very thick. Take it slowly and keep your fingers safe.) Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of hot water over very low heat. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, gently whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and flour. Mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Set aside.

When the chocolate is smooth, remove the bowl from hot water and add the softened butter. Mix until the mixture is again smooth and the butter is completely incorporated. Add the sugar and egg mixture mixing well.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup three quarters full. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. The edges will have just begun to pull away from the pan, and the top of each budino should still look moist and shiny at the center. Remove tins from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. While the tins are still warm, place a baking sheet over the top of each muffin tin and invert it. Carefully lift the muffin tin to release cakes. Transfer the cakes to a serving platter or individual dessert plates. They're at their best if served warm, but are also delicious at room temperature.