Saute

What to drink: Syrah (or Shiraz, as it's called if Australian), or any medium-bodied, fruity red wine.

These delicious pancakes are light and moist; the texture is a cross between a crepe and a pancake. Avoid overmixing the batter (it's okay if there are lumps) to ensure that the pancakes will be airy.

Toasted crushed coriander seeds add great flavor and fragrance to the dressing. Green Anjou or Comice pears would also work well here, but the red Anjou's rich maroon skin looks beautiful next to the lettuce.

Use the grating disk of a food processor to grate the beets more easily.

Heat leftover apple cider with a cinnamon stick on the stove top. It makes a great warm drink—and instant aromatherapy.

Use a block of Asian (Thai) tamarind rather than the Indian kind. It's usually thicker, softer, and easier to work with.

Inspired by Big Night Set in New Jersey in the 1950s, this 1996 film revolves around the conflict between two immigrant brothers who decide to open a restaurant. Primo defends his purist Italian cooking to Secondo, his brother, who is more concerned with the bottom line. Frustrated with customers who want simple plates of spaghetti and meatballs, Primo prepares timpano, a complex, drum-shaped dish of pasta-filled pastry. We've taken the timpano and simplified it into a timballo, a molded casserole without a pastry crust. For added flair, arrange the ziti in a decorative pattern as you make the first layer of the timballo.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio produces some of the best lentils in Abruzzo. Small French lentils make a good substitute.

Hearty lentils and a creamy cauliflower puree make this a particularly satisfying fish dish. Curry powder is an exotic surprise in the lentils.

The mushrooms that top this pizza are simmered in a white wine reduction, which gives them a zippy sweet and acidic bite.

This elegant dish is perfect for weeknight entertaining. There are many different kinds of herbed white wine vinegars; choose your favorite. Serve with: Green beans sautéed with mushrooms, and mashed potatoes with chives.

Serve with: Tabbouleh (bulgur salad), and green beans sautéed with almonds.

Serve with: Orzo tossed with butter and sliced green onion, and sliced roasted beets.

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

This spicy, pumpkin-infused cocktail would make a delightful aperitif from Halloween through Christmas. It was created by Felix Albano, manager of the bar at Fifty Seven Fifty Seven in New York City.