PULL out all the stops with this feast of standing rib roast and chocolate-cranberry torte.Menu:

Serves 8

Champagne Framboise

Spiced Holiday Nuts

Crostini with Burrata Cheese, Pink Pepper, and Arugula

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust

Potato Gratin with Gruyere and Creme Fraiche

Trio Of Winter Greens

Serve with: Syrah and coffee for dessert

STEP-BY-STEP PARTY PLAN

Note: Serving sizes on all recipes are generous and will easily serve >

3 days ah<$>

Make spiced nuts; store airtight

2 days ahead

Make cr|0xe8|me fra|0xee|che for gra

1 day ahead

Make butternut squash soup and cider cream; chill Rub seasonings over rib roast; chill Make chocolate-cranberry torte; chill Make cranberry sauce; chill

3 hours before serving main course:

Begin roasting beef

After 1 hour, 45 minutes, add carrots and shallots to roastingn

1 hour, 45 minutes before serving main course

Bake potato gratin

30 minutes before serving cockls:<$>

Make crostini appetiser

Just before serving first cse: <$>

Add whipping cream to soup and rewarm.

Ladle into bowls; drizzle with cider cream; top with chives

Just before serv beef<$>

Make sauce for beef

Make trio of greens

Recipes from Bon Appétit magazine.

CHAMPAGNE FRAMBOISE

A simple drink for any kind of celebration.

Ice cubes

12 tablespoons framboise

8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 750-ml bottles (about) chilled Brut champagne

Garnish: 3/4 cup fresh raspberries (about 24)

Fill 8 champagne flutes with ice cubes. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons framboise into each flute. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to each.

Fill flutes with champagne. Garnish with raspberries aserve.

Serves 8<$>.

SPICED HOLY NUTS <$>

Offer these with cocktails before dinner, or sprinkle them over holiday salads.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup walnut halves

3/4 cup pecan halves

Line baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add ginger, curry powder and cayenne pepper; sauté until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Stir in sugar and honey.

Add nuts. Stir until honey mixture is amber in color and nuts are well coated, about 6 minutes.

Transfer nut mixture to prepared baking sheet. Working quickly, separate nuts with spoon.

Sprinkle with salt. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

CROSTINI WITH BURRATA CHEESE, PINK PEPPER, ARUGULA<$>

Burrata, an ultra-creamy fresh mozzarella, is available at some grocery stores. You can also use any other kind of mozzarella.

16 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 garlic clove

Arugula leaves (about 3 ounces)

16 tablespoons burrata cheese (about 12 ounces)

2 teaspoons pink peppercorns

Sea salt

Preheat broiler. Place bread on baking sheet. Brush with oil; rub with garlic. Broil until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Transfer toasts to platter. Top with arugula and cheese. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with pepper and sea salt.

Makes 16.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITHDER CREAM<$>

Apples and apple cider lend a pleasant sweetness to this beautiful soup.

5 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)

1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves

5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

Chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes.

Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool.

Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.

Serves 10.

STANDING RIB ROAST WITH ROSEMARHYME CRUST<$>

An herb crust and special Zinfandel sauce give new meaning to the word flavourful. What to drink: A full-bodied, tannin-rich Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon.

1 9- to 9 1/2-pound standing beef rib roast (about 4 ribs), all but thin layer of fat trimmed

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

32 fresh baby carrots, green tops trimmed to 1 inch, peeled

16 large shallots, peeled

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 1/2 cups Zinfandel Beef Stock

Place beef, fat side up, in large shallow roasting pan or on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper.

Spread mustard all over beef. Mix rosemary and thyme in small bowl; sprinkle over beef and press lightly to adhere. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Position rack just below centre of oven and preheat to 450|0xb0|F. Roast beef uncovered 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325|0xb0|F. Roast beef 1 hour 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add carrots and shallots to pan. Turn vegetables to coat with drippings; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast beef and vegetables until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125|0xb0|F for medium-rare, stirring vegetables occasionally, about 55 minutes longer.

Transfer beef and vegetables to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Discard drippings from roasting pan. Place pan over 2 burners on stove top over medium heat. Add butter to pan and melt.

Add flour; whisk until smooth and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in stock. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve beef with vegetables and sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

POTATO GRATIN WITH GRUYERE ANDEME FRAICHE<$>

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

1 1/2 cups cr|0xe8|me fra|0xee|che*, stirred to loosen

1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Gruy|0xe8|re cheese (about 6 ounces)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 400|0xb0|F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of potato slices in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly.

Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread half of cr|0xe8|me fra|0xee|che over potatoes and sprinkle with half of cheese.

Top with remaining potatoes, overlapping slightly; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread with remaining cr|0xe8|me fra|0xee|che; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake gratin uncovered 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350|0xb0|F. Continue to bake gratin until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

*Available at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream to lukewarm (85|0xb0|F). Remove from heat and mix in 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Chill until ready to use.

Makes 8 servings.

TRIO OF WINTER GREENS

To preserve their vibrant colour and pure flavors, cook the greens just until they are slightly wilted. The ribs of the greens should retain some crispness.

7 tablespoons butter 1 9-ounce package fresh spinach

8 ounces escarole, coarsely chopped

1 5-ounce head of frisée, coarsely torn

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add half of greens; toss to wilt very slightly, about 30 seconds.

Add remaining greens and toss just to warm and wilt slightly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to plar and serve.

Makes 8 servings<$>.

CHOCOLATEANBERRY TORTE<$>

What to drink: Offer robust French roast coffee, but also a vintage or rubyrt.

Sauce <$>

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons

Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)

Torte

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/3 cup Chambord

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar 6 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup all purpose flour

teaspoon salt

Glaze

1 cup whipping cream

10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup Chambord

Fresh mint leaves

For sauce:

Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; cook until cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer to processor; puree.

Strain puree into bowl; discard seeds. Mix in Chambord. Cover; chill at least 2 hours or overnight (sa will thicken).

For torte:<$>

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350|0xb0|F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan.

Line bottom with parchment paper. Stir 3/4 cup cranberries and Chambord in small saucepan over medium heat until liqueur simmers, about 1 minute. Cool to room temperature.

Drain cranberries; reserve liqueur and cranberries separately. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until beginning to bubble at edges. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar, then eggs 1 at a time (batter will look grainy).

Whisk in reserved liqueur. Add flour and salt; whisk gently until blended. Stir in reserved cranberries; transfer to prepared pan.

Bake torte until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with moist (not wet) batter attached, about 1 hour. Cool completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

For glaze:

Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in Chambord. Let stand until glaze is thick but still pourable, whisking occasionally, about 2 hours.

Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; place cake rack in center. Cut around torte to loosen; remove pan sides.

Place 8-inch-diameter cardboard round or 8-inch tart pan bottom on top of torte. Holding cardboard and springform pan bottom, turn torte over and place on rack. Remove pan bottom; peel off paper.

Pour 1 1/2 cups glaze over torte. Using icing spatula, smooth glaze over top and sides (re-apply any glaze from foil if necessary).

Freeze torte until glaze is set, about 10 minutes. Pour remaining 1 cup glaze over torte and smooth evenly.

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries around top edge. Freeze until glaze is firm, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to platter. Cover with cake dome and chill.

Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.) Arrange fresh mint leaves between cranberries at top edge of torte. Cut into wedges and serve with sauce.