Epicurious
Death in the Afternoon
Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe, but Ernest Hemingway gets credit for the recipe. His advice, circa 1935: "Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly." We recommend drinking fewer than five. You may also try pouring the absinthe on top instead—some brands of absinthe will float for a time on the Champagne, and this makes for a nifty visual effect.
Absinthe Suissesse
Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. Here, absinthe is paired with orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup. The egg white and cream give the drink a frothy, milkshake-like texture. (If salmonella is a problem in your area, omit the egg white or substitute pasteurized liquid egg whites.) In New Orleans, many people consider this a breakfast drink.
Old Fashioned
This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City.
Eben Freeman's Cognac Sazerac
This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City.
Manhattan
This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. Freeman suggests you use anything but a maraschino cherry (as garnish) to avoid adding a cloying sweetness.
Sangria
This recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. Though sangria is typically made in larger batches, Freeman demonstrates that it can also be concocted right in the glass for a single serving. When it comes to ingredients, he eschews the fancy add-ons found in many recipes, instead sticking to a simple formula of Spanish wine (ideally a young Rioja), Spanish brandy, and lemon juice. If you prefer, sugar can be added to taste, and different light red wines, citrus juices, and brandies substituted.
Lisa Loeb's Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Editor's note: Lisa Loeb shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. To read more about Lisa and get a peek inside her kitchen, see our Celebrity Kitchen Tour videos.
These are Lisa Loeb's favorite cookies, a version of Mark Bittman's "Refrigerator (Rolled) Cookies," which appeared in his seminal How to Cook Everything. She substitutes high-in-fiber whole-wheat flour for regular all-purpose flour, uses rich dark brown sugar instead of plain, and adds natural peanut butter and an extra pinch of kosher salt for a rich, nutty flavor. Before baking, she tops each cookie with a dollop of all-fruit jam, which balances out the sophisticated saltiness with the perfect hint of sweetness. If you prefer not to use jam, before baking try sprinkling cookies with good-quality sea salt, such as fleur de sel, to bring out their sweetness.
Aviation
This recipe is from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. For this classic cocktail, essentially a gin sour with a cherry garnish, Freeman believes that the quality of the ingredients is paramount. He prefers Maraska maraschino liqueur, which has a cleaner and less funky flavor than other brands, and he replaces the traditional, artificially flavored maraschino cherry with a homemade version. For instructions on making homemade maraschino cherries, see the bartender's note, below, or simply substitute a pitted fresh cherry.
Michelada
This adaptation of a classic Mexican beer-based cocktail was created by Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. For authenticity, Freeman suggests using Pico Piquin pepper sauce, Valentina salsa picante, and Modelo Especial lager. However, he notes that each region in Mexico employs different products, so other brands can be substituted.
Linguine with Clams
A light sauce of white wine and tomatoes lets the seafood shine in this iconic Italian pasta dish.
Spaghetti with Mussels (Spaghetti con le Cozze)
A simple white wine, garlic, and parsley sauce is all that's needed to complement the fresh shellfish in this Italian pasta dish.
Salt Cod With Tomatoes and Capers (Baccalà alla Vesuviana)
In Italy, this recipe is a classic holiday dish. For Christmas Eve, it would generally be served at room temperature, as part of a buffet.
Mixed Fruit Pavlovas
If you don't have a pastry bag, you can spoon the meringue mixture onto the traced circles. Smooth the top of each circle and, using the back of a spoon, make a depression in the center.
Chocolate ChipOrange Cannoli (Cannoli di Ricotta)
There are several secrets to perfect, crisp cannoli:
1). You need the right proportion of filling to shell. In America, cannoli are often too large, with too much filling. These are tiny and delicate, perfect for eating in just a couple of bites.
2). Use high-quality ingredients. Sheep's-milk ricotta is the most traditional, but good fresh cow's-milk ricotta will work fine as well. Be sure to drain it for an hour to avoid watering down the filling. Good-quality candied orange peel is important as well. If you can't find any that's fresh and plump, substitute freshly grated orange zest.
3). Most importantly, don't fill the shells until you're ready to serve them. Both the filling and the shells can be made one day ahead, but to avoid soggy shells, don't pipe the filling into them until the last minute.
If you don't have a pastry bag, a one-gallon freezer bag with the end snipped off can be used to pipe the filling.
Giggle Juice
This pleasant, not-too-strong punch is perfect for a party. To keep the mixture cold without diluting it, use an ice block instead of regular ice cubes.
Tomato Sauce
This recipe originally accompanied Ratatouille .
Ratatouille
This recipe calls for a thin, freshly made tomato sauce. Using this sauce will produce the best flavor and texture, but in a pinch you could substitute any plain canned sauce.
White Bean, Sun-dried Tomato, and Feta Bites
The white bean, sun-dried tomato, and Feta mixture can be prepared up to six hours in advance, but it's best to toast the bread at the last minute.
Zucchini Poppers with Sour Cream Dip
The trick to these poppers is squeezing as much liquid out of the grated zucchini as possible. This helps create a firm but light batter that can be easily rolled into balls and fried.