This elegantly composed salad combines classic flavors and textures: Chewy dates, crunchy almonds, and creamy blue cheese nestle with peppery arugula and watercress. A sweet-tart honey-Dijon dressing pulls it all together. For a heartier meal, serve with grilled ribeye.
Infusing lots of mint and freshly grated ginger into a simple syrup takes the muddling out of these Mojitos. Since the base of the cocktail is made in advance, all you have to do is add ice and club soda—perfect for parties or your next tailgate. T
Blanched green beans are sautéed with a little vinegar and parsley for a bright-tasting, easy side dish. Serve with rich dishes like Potato Gratin, Brick Chicken, or Chicken Cordon Bleu.
When it comes to hot sauce, our photographer, Chris Rochelle, likes it fiery. For the faint of heart, we suggest using his sauce as a light seasoning in things like tacos, eggs, hummus, curry, or our Turkey Chili recipe.
Don’t let smoky Scotch scare you away from this drink—we use just a dash of the peaty stuff in this warming cup of cider (sort of like you’d use absinthe in a rinse). The bulk of the booze is a not-so-peaty whisky, to keep the overall drink balanced. Drink it as a nightcap, paired with a classic dessert like our fresh apple pie. This cocktail was featured as part of our Hot Boozy Drinks recipe gallery.
A classic champagne cocktail, the Poinsettia is a festive orange-and-cranberry-flavored, rose-tinted punch. Use floating frozen orange slices and cranberries to keep the punch nicely chilled and nicely decorated. Game plan: This punch is not served with ice, so make sure all the ingredients and the punch bowl are well chilled. If you have an extra bowl that’s larger than your punch bowl, fill it with ice and nestle the punch bowl inside to keep it cold.
Red grapefruit juice and orgeat give this drink its slightly opaque, pearlescent color. If you choose, add a splash of rum or vodka, but this floral, citrusy blend can hold its own without the booze. What to buy: Orgeat is an almond-sugar syrup traditionally made from whole blanched almonds. The nut oil gives the syrup (and cocktails made with it) a richness that can’t be duplicated with a cheap almond-flavored syrup.
This Prohibition-era cocktail is equal parts herbaceous Chartreuse, gin, sweet maraschino liqueur, and sour lime juice. It’s complex, balanced, and totally satisfying. What to buy: Maraschino liqueur is a relatively dry liqueur with a subtle bitter-almond flavor; it can be found at any well-stocked liquor store.