Make Ahead

The beauty of this basic recipe is that it can be tweaked in numerous ways. For a spicy version, add some sriracha sauce. Try swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice and use feta cheese instead of Parmesan and mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and chopped red onion or shallot. For a curried chickpea salad, leave out the Parmesan and add curry powder to taste, dried currants, sliced green onions, and shredded carrots.

The sauce known as all'arrabbiata—or "in the angry style"—is made with hot red pepper flakes (and sometimes fresh chilies for an extra kick). I like to use the briny elements of olives and capers and skip the fresh chilies, adding depth to the spiciness rather than just more heat. Perfect with penne or rigatoni.

For a few years now I've been a judge at the Whirlpool Accubake Unique Cake Contest, which is similar to the Pillsbury Bake-Off. A chocolate cake with a pecan and butterscotch toffee topping called Chocolate Coffee Toffee Cake by Elizabeth Kirsch from Pennsylvania won first place in 2002 and the $10,000 prize, which she donated to Heifer International. Elizabeth told me she made her cakes in glass canning jars and would tuck one into her husband's business trip luggage so he wouldn't miss his favorite cake while he was out of town. This simplified version of her cake would be perfect to take to a picnic or even a backyard barbecue

Believed to be the oldest alcoholic drink known to mankind, mead is made by the simple fermentation of honey with spices and other flavorings. There are a bewildering number of variations and recipes for mead—including spiced mead (metheglin), fruit mead (melomel), and mead with mulberries (morat) or hops (sack)—but this is a basic home recipe. Once you have mastered the technique you can begin to experiment with your own flavors. The mead will reflect the flavor of the honey you use so bear this in mind.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. He recommends serving this salsa with his Carnitas or Carne Adobada Tacos . The Spanish name for this salsa means "rooster's beak," and originally referred to a salad of jicama, peanuts, oranges, and onions. But today, whether you're in Minneapolis or Mexico City, if you ask for pico de gallo, you'll get the familiar cilantro-flecked combination of chopped tomato, onion, and fresh chiles. This tart, crisp condiment (also known as salsa Mexicana) has become so common on Mexican tables that it seems like no coincidence that its colors match those of the national flag. Besides finding firm ripe tomatoes and seeding them, the key to this salsa is adding plenty of lime juice and salt, and not skimping on the chiles. Because without a burst of acidity and heat, you're just eating chopped tomatoes.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. To make tacos, you'll also need 24 to 32 warm corn tortillas, 2 cups of salsa, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. Santibañez recommends serving the tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa , Roasted Pineapple Salsa , or Taco-Shop Guacamole, a blend of avocado and tomatillos. Picture this: Mounds of juicy, tender, crispy-edged pieces of pork just waiting to be tucked into freshly made tortillas or piled on a plate along with rice and beans. This recipe is the classic way to make them—well, almost. Many restaurants and stalls put a whole butchered pig in a huge copper pot and let it simmer away until any liquid has evaporated. That's when the pork goes from being braised to being fried, browning in its own luscious fat. I do the same thing here, except I suggest using pork shoulder instead of the whole animal. And while the pork is traditionally browned on the stovetop, doing it in the oven is even easier and more effective. Pile the result on tortillas with salsa, chopped onions, and cilantro.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. He recommends serving this salsa with his <epi:recipelink id="364389">Carnitas or <epi:recipelink id="364409">Carne Adobada Tacos.</epi:recipelink></epi:recipelink> Pineapple's bright sweet-tart flavor becomes sweeter and more complex as the sugars caramelize on the grill or under the broiler. Like most fruit salsas, a high heat level—thank you, habaneros—keeps all that beautiful sweetness in check. This salsa brings to mind tacos al pastor—the amazing taqueria specialty of pork roasting on a vertical spit with a piece of pineapple on top, dripping its juices onto the charred meat—so I often serve it with roast pork or Carnitas, but it also goes great with grilled fish or shrimp. I thank my dear friend, the wonderful chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, Sergio Remolina for inspiring this recipe. Cheers, Sergio!

People think of truffles as such a luxurious item, yet they couldn't be easier to make. Pop one in your mouth for a mid-afternoon snack or serve as a small delicious bite at the end of a large meal. There is so much buzz out there lately about the good effects of chocolate—hey, think of it as health food!

Room temperature ingredients make all the difference in this cake. You can get more loft from non-chilled egg whites, and room-temperature butter is easier to cream (beat together) with sugar than the straight- from-the-fridge stuff. The fluffy egg whites and properly creamed butter and sugar mean tender, light cake. And room-temp butter and cream cheese will translate to creamy, smooth frosting instead of a sticky mess filled with lumps.

Gjelina chef Travis Lett and pastry chef Meave Mcauliffe have perfected this sweet-savory treat. "It's essential to work the dough as little as possible," says Lett. "If there are streaks of unincorporated butter or flour, that's fine." And Lett has a serving suggestion, too. "Try them with a high-quality farmstead butter and some flaky sea salt. Lovely."

This aphrodisiac-laden mocktail comes from NYC's Museum of Sex and is a perfect way to set the mood on Valentine's Day. The recipe makes enough almond and jasmine elixirs for eight drinks; if you're making only two, refrigerate both elixirs and they will last up to two weeks. If you can't find granulated honey, substitute raw cane sugar. To make the Night Flower alcoholic, add two ounces of St. Germain (elderflower liqueur) or vodka to each drink.

Bourguignonne refers to any dish cooked in the style of Burgundy, France. This dish is similar to classic boeuf bourguignonne (French beef stew), which is beef braised with red wine and mushrooms. Although oxtail was once the tail of an ox, these days the bony cut is beef or veal. Mashed potatoes would make the perfect side dish.