5 Ingredients or Fewer

Imagine peanut brittle that is as delicate as lace, with the familiar buttery crunch.

Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, these little prune tartlets (made with just five ingredients) are so delicious, they'll have everyone at the breakfast table begging for more.

Nils Noren, executive chef at restaurant Aquavit, in New York, pairs this smoky hot drink with venison, but it works well with almost any wintry game preparation. He uses Assam tea, a full-bodied brew from India. For a richer, molasseslike flavor, use muscovado sugar.

The surging popularity of sandwich wraps and quick Mexican snacks like quesadillas has turned the flour tortilla, a staple once largely confined to northern Mexico, into something found in supermarkets across the United States. Of the store-bought varieties, we are big fans of those from Maria & Ricardo's Tortilla Factory (800-881-7040), available at high-end supermarkets such as Whole Foods and by mail order from the company. (Dry-toast them slightly to freshen before using.) That said, we are even bigger fans of homemade flour tortillas. Fragrant and slightly puffy, they fall squarely into the "staff of life" category.

This refreshing, slightly sweet soda is one of several kinds that Erin O'Shea, sommelier at Clio, in Boston, pairs with chef Ken Oringer's exciting food as part of the restaurant's nonalcoholic drink program.

A variation on twice-baked potatoes, these are an eye-catching takeoff on a sweet potato casserole. The sweet potato flesh is pureed with butter and milk, returned to the hollowed-out shells, and topped with mini marshmallows before a final baking. You can puree the potatoes in a blender or a food processor; use the blender for an especially silky texture.

This recipe brought to you by Bertolli.

A perfect ending to any Asian meal.

This sauce blends fresh cranberry relish and cooked cranberry sauce.

Try using Grade B maple syrup, which has a deeper flavor than Grade A, in this recipe. Look for it at natural foods stores.

A fresh take on green bean casserole#151;lighter and simpler, yet full of flavor.

Leftover ham in the fridge or sweet potatoes in the pantry? This clever brunch dish is the way to go.

An autumnal, herbaceous twist on the Martini.

A seasonal Manhattan.