Beverages

Extracted from the pulp inside the seedpods of the African tamarind tree, tamarind paste is sold in Indian groceries and sometimes in the Asian section of supermarkets. Tamarind pulp is quite sour, being about 20 percent acid (mostly tartaric), but it is also somewhat sweet and savory, with a complex roasted underpinning. In much of Asia, tamarind is used to acidify sauces, soups, preserves, and beverages. If you can't find it, you could substitute a combination of lime juice and Marmite and come close. Tamarind paste will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container.

Because ripe pineapples bruise easily and don't travel well, and because the fruit doesn't ripen after being picked, processed pineapple products like juice and canned fruit that are made from fully ripened fruit frequently taste better than the fresh pineapples available to most consumers. That's why I don't waste my time juicing my own pineapples for beverages. Strawberries are another matter. Strawberry juice, because of its low acidity, is highly perishable. In this light sparkling soda, the strawberry juice is fresh and the pineapple juice is processed—the best of both worlds.

Red O bartender Steve Calabro was inspired by chef Rick Bayless's fresh, ingredient-driven style to create this bright summer drink. After testing an early version, Bayless grated lime zest into the Margarita, Calabro added a red orchid to the glass, and they pronounced it finished.

A glass of chilled Prosecco is a fine prelude to a summer meal. Morphed into a sophisticated gelée, it's a great ending, too.

Steep cucumber and mango in the wine for three hours or longer for maximum flavor. Once the fruit sinks, the wine is ready.

The longer the tequila is infused with the chiles, the hotter it gets.

Use chilled fruit (and a frozen banana) for an even more refreshing drink.

This is a childhood favorite reinvented for grown-up tastes. You've got the texture of a Fudgsicle but with the flavor of rich dark chocolate, salty peanuts, and sweet caramel, all combined in a dessert pretty enough to make people think it came out of a professional kitchen. It's important that the Fudgsicle bars soften at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving, otherwise they'll be too hard to cut into. The flavor comes forward when the dessert warms a little. Don't forgo the ice-water bath. You need to cool the custard quickly to keep it from overcooking.

A 4-ounce fillet of mild-tasting tilapia has only 108 calories.

The Italian aperitif Campari brings balance to these sweet orange pops.

Garnish this dessert with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, which are a snap to make using a vegetable peeler. If the chocolate is especially hard, as bittersweet chocolate tends to be, microwave it in 15-second intervals until it's soft enough to be shaved. The softer the chocolate, the larger the curls.

Vanilla is the classic ice cream partner for these boozy cherries, but try them with chocolate for a homemade version of Cherry Garcia.

Best with beef, pork, lamb, game meats

Guinness, the Irish stout, gives the brine for these simple barbecued lamb steaks much of its punch. Like most dark beers, Guinness has a bittersweet molasses flavor, which is great with lamb. But the hidden power of a Guinness brine is its alcohol content (about 4 percent). Alcohol accelerates the absorption of flavorful components directly into the protein structure of meat, yielding a steak that not only retains about 10 percent more moisture, but also is able to deliver a hit of seasoning with every bite. The flavors of chipotle chiles and cumin in the brine are reinforced with a smoky rub and a dark, pungent Guinness BBQ sauce. A word of warning: the sauce burns easily, so only brush it on the meat at the very end of grilling. In fact it is more flavorful served as a table sauce, although the steaks do look nice varnished with glaze.

(Margaritas de Tunas) Cactus fruits, also known as "prickly pears," are any number of fruit nodules that grow wild on the nopales cactus in the deserts of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Although prickly pear juice is sold in bottles, nothing compares to the sweet taste of their fresh flesh and spitting out the numerous seeds. My dad taught me how to peel the fruits: Hold them with a pair of thick leather or work gloves, cut off both ends, cut a slit down the length of the fruit, then remove the prickly skins with a pair of tongs. Although they come in a variety of flavors and colors, I find the ones with the bright pink flesh to be the most tasty and the drinks from them come out more festive looking, too.

Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe for Cuban coffee, or cafecito, as part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious. No Cuban meal is complete without a cafecito, or Cuban coffee. More than just an espresso, a well-made cafecito has sweet crema floating over strong espresso coffee. Despite its name, crema has nothing to do with cream—it's actually foam made from sugar that's been thoroughly beaten with a splash of coffee. Many don't realize that it's the technique for making the crema—not the type of coffee beans used—that makes the coffee Cuban. But for the full Cuban experience, Castro recommends using Café Bustelo espresso.

Serve these refreshing beer-and-lime coolers over ice.

Look for dried hibiscus flowers at specialty food shops and Latin markets.

This variation on the traditional Indian beverage is like a frosty cold, bright ginger beer. Cardamom gives the drink a floral undertone, and tart lime juice and sea salt add refreshing balance.