Alcohol
Strawberries Romanoff with Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
French pastry chefs dedicated this classic dessert to the Russian royal family. In this version, Grand Marnier-soaked berries are served with a tangy homemade ice cream (in place of the usual whipped cream). If you'd like, serve some sweet, crisp cookies alongside.
Mexican Seafood Sauté with Avocado-Mango Salsa
In this impressive main course, sautéed scallops and shrimp are paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the seafood and the side dishes with warm corn or flour tortillas.
Sliced Strawberries with Grand Marnier Zabaglione
Zabaglione is a light, foamy custard. In this elegant dessert, the warm Grand Marnier-spiked custard is spooned over fresh strawberries just before serving.
Grapefruit Gimlet
Pucker up with this refreshing sweet-sour spin on the classic gimlet. Ruby Red grapefruit vodka from Napa Valley stands in for gin, and fresh lime juice adds just the right amount of tartness.
Grilled Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions, Sausage, and Manchego Cheese
Grilling the pizza dough adds a smoky flavor to the crust.
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Red Wine, Garlic, Mustard and Sage
The lamb (grass-fed, ideally) needs to marinate overnight, so be sure to begin one day ahead. Ask the butcher to bone and butterfly the lamb for you.
Rosé Sangria with Pineapple and Guava
Sangria is traditionally made with red wine. In this version, rosé gives the drink a pretty pink blush. If you prefer a stronger drink, mix in some light rum.
Viognier Fruit Spritzer
Frozen organic strawberries look great in the wineglasses—and help keep this pretty cocktail cool. Double the recipe if you'd like to be able to offer your guests seconds.
Peach Royale
A meal this romantic calls for a sparkling cocktail. This pretty and delicious drink is a new take on the classic Kir Royale, a mixture of Champagne and black-currant liqueur. Here, Prosecco (the Italian bubbly) stands in for the Champagne, and peach nectar and liqueur are used instead of crème de cassis.
Green Bean Salad with Radishes and Prosciutto
This recipe calls for aged Sherry (instead of vinegar), which gives the dressing an added kick.
Polenta with Green Beans, Mushrooms, Peas, and Leeks
This vegetarian main course is satisfying and flavorful.
Lumpia Sariwa
This well-known Philippine starter combines attributes of many of the wrapped foods of other countries. It's filled like an egg roll, has an egg wrapper like a crêpe, and is served warm but not fried. All the components, which can be varied according to what you have in your kitchen, are cooked before assembly.
Texas Margaritas
Editor's Note: This recipe originally accompanied a story on Mother's Day.
Tequila and beer make these slushy, orange-and lime-flavored drinks pack a Texas-size punch. They're just the thing on a blazing-hot summer night.
Vodka Rosemary Lemonade Fizz
Aromatic sprigs of rosemary smooth out vodka-spiked lemonade, providing a bracing counterpoint to the lusty flavors of the many antipasti dishes. It's a great addition to anyone's cocktail canon. To make a kid-friendly quaff, simply omit the vodka.
Piña Pisco Sours
Pisco, a potent brandy distilled from grapes, is made in Peru and Chile, and each country claims the Pisco Sour—recognizable by its distinctive foamy head (from egg white) and tart lime flavor—as its own. A swirl of fresh pineapple juice boosts the tropical vibe.
Sake Sea Bass in Parchment
The advantage of cooking something in parchment is that it steams in its own juices. Here, sea bass is baked with a heady combination of sake, soy sauce, and ginger. Pair it with stir-fried bok choy and cabbage for a straightforward yet sophisticated dinner.
The Stout Diplomat
Yanni Kehagiaras of San Francisco's Nopa restaurant created this dessert drink for a beer-cocktail competition. He says, "The rum is in there to give this beer cocktail a bit of a punch. I wanted to use a dark rum, but nothing too spicy or funky that would take the focus away from the beer. So I chose Diplomatico, which adds a subtle sweetness and caramel flavor without clashing." That approach—and this drink—is likely to wins fans on both sides of the beer/cocktail divide.
Cinnamon-Rum Ice Cream
As befitting a diner dessert, this ice cream is thick and rich and perfectly accents the apple tartlet. Cinnamon ice cream generally falls into three categories: infused via cinnamon sticks during the milk warming; ground cinnamon added during the milk warming; and ground cinnamon added at the very end. You can't get a real cinnamony flavor from the sticks alone, and adding ground cinnamon too early makes for a very strange texture. The third option lends a nice flavor and texture and leaves the custard pleasantly speckled.