Epicurious

This dish can pack a lot of heat—or not. If you like a lot of spice, feel free to up the amount of fiery bird's-eye chiles. If you prefer a slightly milder dish, you can remove the seeds from the chiles.

This recipe comes exclusively to Epicurious from Suzanne Tracht of Los Angeles' Jar restaurant and is part of a modern Hanukkah menu.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, created this Champagne cocktail. As you add the sparkling wine, note how the drink changes color from green to pink. Freeman uses frozen cherries to make a cherry purée, but you can also use all-fruit spread.

This version of a classic South American cocktail was created by Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, developed this version of a classic cocktail that mixes whiskey, vermouth, brandy, and orange juice. Instead of cherry brandy, Freeman generally uses beer: either Echt Kriekenbier from Brouwerij Verhaeghe or Quelque Chose from Unibrew. And instead of regular orange juice, Freeman creates his own orange foam, which gives it a unique texture. Note: Freeman's ingredients are not commonly found in supermarkets. We have provided an online source, below.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, developed this adaptation of a classic tequila-based cocktail. Freeman uses a reposado tequila because it has more body and adds less of a vegetal flavor than a blanco would.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, developed this bitter, Cognac-based cocktail, which makes for a great after-dinner drink.

This classic cocktail is said to be the predecessor of the Martini. Bartender Eben Freeman developed this version at Tailor restaurant in New York City.

These individual vanilla soufflés include a surprise layer in the middle: almond cookies soaked in an orange liqueur syrup.
The soufflés are thickened with a cooked mixture of butter, flour, and milk called a panade, which adds body and richness. Egg yolks are whisked into the panade to form the soufflé base, and then beaten egg whites are folded in to create the soufflé batter.

Much of gumbo's complex richness comes from the very dark roux (a cooked mixture of flour and, in this case, oil) that thickens the soup. The longer the roux cooks, the darker and more flavorful it—and the finished dish—will become. This recipe calls for cooking the roux for about 15 minutes, but for an even stronger flavor, it can be cooked for up to 30 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Filé powder, an iconic ingredient in Cajun and Creole cooking, is made from ground sassafras leaves. It's available in the baking aisle of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. It should be added to each individual portion just before serving, or the gumbo will become stringy.

When purchasing rack of lamb, ask your butcher to remove the chine bone as well as any excess surface fat and to "french" or clean, the rib bones. To create a really flavorful spice coating for the lamb, Hayden recommends using high-quality coffee and dark, strong Valrhona cocoa. For the salad, Fleming likes to use a spicy Tuscan olive oil to give the vinaigrette an extra kick of flavor.

This fluffy flat bread has large, irregular holes thanks to a wet, sticky dough and gentle handling during mixing. TIME SCHEDULE:
Minimum rising time: 2 1/2 Hours
Oven temperature: 475°F
Baking time: 12 to 15 minutes

To neatly and evenly transfer the cake batter to the ramekins, Fleming likes to use an ice cream scoop, but if you don't have one, the batter can just as easily be poured.

This is a whole-wheat version of basic white sandwich bread. It's a little less soft but a lot more wheat-y and substantial. The use of bread flour gives this bread a lighter texture, while the milk powder and oil help soften it. TIME SCHEDULE:
Dough starter (sponge): minimum 1 hour, maximum 4 hours (or overnight refrigerated)
Minimum rising time (including starter): about 4 hours
Oven temperature: 450°F, then 400°F
Baking time: 40 to 50 minutes

These beautiful, gossamer soft rolls make the perfect complement to any dinner. Mashed sweet potato is responsible for the moist texture and gorgeous color. TIME SCHEDULE
Dough starter (sponge): minimum 1 hour, maximum 4 hours (or overnight refrigerated)
Minimum rising time (including starter): about 4 1/2 hours
Oven temperature: 400&Deg;F
**Baking time:**12 minutes

Pollo con Frutos y Frutas Secas As this recipe demonstrates, Ferran Adrià, the alchemist chef of El Bulli, is as practical as he is inventive. It's adapted from the cookbook he dedicated to quick recipes that can be made with supermarket ingredients, and it features a store-bought rotisserie chicken that's deliciously doctored with a sauce of dried fruit, pine nuts, and port wine. Though you can whip the dish up in less than half an hour, the flavors are sophisticated enough for a fancy dinner party. If you'd like to roast your own chicken, so much the better.

This traditional dessert can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. It's delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, creme fraîche, or whipped cream.