Recipes & Menus

Underneath the toasted meringue, you’ll find a surprising lightness that comes from cheery red cranberry sorbet layered with pale green pistachio ice cream and buttery pound cake.

Bay scallops—which are smaller and sweeter than sea scallops—are found in estuaries up and down the Eastern Seaboard, from New England to the Mid-Atlantic region. Any of them will work here, but if you really want to pull out all the stops, search for those from Nantucket Bay, which are prized for their candylike succulence. Celery purée swirled with black truffle butter enhances the delicacy of the seafood.

Sure, you could pour a glass of sparkling Prosecco, but turning it into a celebratory punch rich with fruity, tart pomegranate juice and citrus takes things in an even livelier direction.

Popovers are an appealing alternative to Yorkshire pudding (the same batter is used for both), and embellishing with dried porcini mushrooms imparts an unexpected woodsy dimension. You’ll want to make these all winter long.

Crisp pickled vegetables go brilliantly with cocktails (or with sandwiches, a hunk of cheese, a juicy steak...the possibilities are endless). Fresh ginger and dried chiles give them a bracing boost and orange juice plays up their natural sweetness.

A simmer and soak in sugar syrup glazes kumquats and liquifies their interiors so they taste like delicious shots of marmalade.

All of the elements for this elegant last course can be prepped at least two days ahead; assemble just before eating for the ultimate, light-but-luscious Valentine’s dessert.

This spicy Ethiopian dipping sauce is made from whisking berbere spice blend honey wine, beer, arak, or even just a mixture of water and honey.

Great pimiento cheese is all about spice. Red peppers and hot sauce are essential to cutting through the richness of the cream cheese and cheddar.

Ragù, as the Bolognese call their celebrated meat sauce, is characterized by mellow, gentle, comfortable flavor.

Essentially rows of buttery shortbread encased in a rich chocolate ganache, we suggest having a slice of this dessert by the fire with a strong cup of coffee.

With a wheat-free coconut-date cookie crumb–like crust, a creamy coconut layer, and a rich chocolate topping, these bar cookies will remind you of your favorite candy but taste so much better.

Who says oatmeal needs to be sweet? Prepare the oats as you traditionally would, but instead of adding berries and sweeteners, toss in greens and kimchi, then top with an egg, hemp seeds, and avocado.

This recipe looks more daunting than it actually is. You basically make a bread dough with a bit of butter and egg in it, knead it for a while, the leave it alone to do its thing.

A classic, simple mince pie, devoid of bells, whistles and creative meddling. The pastry is a rich but workable short crust. It won't collapse in the carol singer's mittens. The pies themselves will stand or fall by the quality of mincemeat. Go for broke, Christmas is not the time for parsimony. The little darlings are at their most delicious when eaten warm. Baked a day or more before, they reheat nicely.

Sandwich layers of crisp chocolate pastry with an oozing chocolate-caramel sauce for a stunning-but-easy celebratory dessert.

Serve this easy-to-make “toast” just as you would traditional toast and top it with your favorite toppings, such as avocado, a poached or fried egg, microgreens, tahini, fresh berries, hemp seeds, a nut butter, bananas, or strawberries.