Beverages

Although we're fans of Irish coffee, this particular incarnation as a coffee ice cream sundae with a whiskey—spiked caramel sauce is so insanely good, we suspect you'll be indulging in this far more often than the drink itself! For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

This triple threat dessert offers three distinct textures and flavors: A nutty, crumbly crust is filled with a dark chocolate pudding enriched with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate stout, then topped with a billowy bourbon whipped cream. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

"Classic tiramisù doesn't usually contain chocolate, but I love how it pairs with the coffee. It's just one of those magical flavor combinations." —Kriss Harvey

Chicago chef Graham Elliot uses aromatic makrut lime leaves to make this sparkler from his sandwich shop, Grahamwich. They're sold frozen, and sometimes fresh, wherever you buy Thai groceries. If unavailable, substitute an additional 1/2 teaspoon lime zest for each lime leaf.

Fresh ginger and crushed red pepper flakes give this recipe from Portland's Grüner restaurant its fragrant, pleasantly spicy kick.

At San Francisco's Contigo, chef Brett Emerson created this muddled soda to showcase the small, sweet strawberries he finds at the farmers’ market.

Peaches are abundant in the area around Piacenza. My mom's mother, Nonna Stella, used to use them in this traditional dish during the months when the peaches were at their best. In fact, my mom likes to tell me how, when she was pregnant, she ate them nonstop. The peaches should be very ripe and juicy. If they're not so juicy, you may need to chop an extra peach half for the filling, to add a little moisture. Make amaretti crumbs by pulsing the cookies in a food processor, or putting them in a resealable plastic bag, and crushing them with a rolling pin or a meat mallet.

I used to be reluctant to open a bottle of wine at home unless I was entertaining, because I’d drink a glass or two and then have to contend with the leftover vino. There are various ways to deal with it (see sidebar, page 23), but once I discovered this idea from blogger Michele Humes on SeriousEats.com, it was a problem no more. Even lesser-quality wine becomes a deeply flavored condiment good for drizzling on ice cream, chocolate desserts, or citrus segments. It can be used for layering in a parfait with Greek-style yogurt (see page 161) or for hydrating dried cherries in a tart with almonds (page 163). I tend to use whatever spices strike my fancy at the time; with red wine, I like this particular combination, but whole cinnamon, cloves, and/or allspice, for example, could be used for a more pronounced flavor. The best thing about this syrup? Once you cool it, it can be refrigerated in an airtight container indefinitely.

When I first visited Portland, Oregon, I left with two regrets: that I didn’t plan on more days (so I could eat more) in that glorious food-obsessed city, and that I didn’t pack an extra duffel for all the edible stuff I wanted to carry back home. On that last point, I limited myself to dried sour cherries and dry-roasted hazelnuts. When I wasn’t scarfing them out of hand, I threw them into dishes, alone but often in combination, proving the validity of the saying, “If it grows together, it goes together.” For this dish, I turned the hazelnuts and dried cherries into a sauce that can be made with Mulled Wine Syrup (page 6) or Pinot Noir (another Oregon specialty) to pour over pan-fried Cornish hen. I like to cook it al mattone, which means “with a brick,” a quick method that results in even cooking, a crisp skin, and moist flesh.

The dish was the Queen Mother's favorite and one we always put on the menu when she came to stay. It was also served at the wedding breakfast of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.

Tender and succulent, this red wine-braised beef stew is the ultimate one-pot meal, loaded with tender potatoes and carrots. Don't forget to bring over a loaf of crusty French bread for sopping up the rich sauce.

With smoothie kits in the freezer, an exhausted new parent is seconds away from a nutritious, creamy meal-in-a-glass. The ingredients are all prepped, measured, and frozen. Just add yogurt and a little milk or juice, and blend. Be sure to write on each bag how much yogurt and milk or juice to add.

A passover meal wouldn't be complete without haroseth, a traditional, chutney-like condiment.

Before making this dish, call your fish market. Octopus is available at some markets, but it may need to be ordered several days ahead.

Add any leftover grape puree to a glass of sparkling water or to a quick pan sauce for chicken or duck breast.

Your neighbor saw your 5,000-watt crèche with the Light-Up Holy Family and raised you Three Luminous-Halo'd Wise Men. You countered by adding the Animated Waving Santa and Nodding Reindeer to your roof; he got the Ho! Ho! Hover-Over-the-House Motion-Sensored Santa Sleigh Track. Before contemplating your next move, relax with a sparkling, ginger-infused refresher and review the inconvenient truth of your kilowatt hours.

This crumbly shortbread is studded with dried currants, which are tiny raisins made from Zante grapes. The currants must be soaked overnight, so you'll need to plan your craving a day in advance.