Beverages

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . On the road to Lockhart, Texas in the Hill Country outside of Austin, I discovered barbecue heaven where smoke meets beef. This slow-cooked brisket is crunchy and almost burnt on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. After tasting a delicate 2-pound portion, I got some tips from the pit master himself and promptly went home and created my own version. The simple salt-and-pepper Lockhart Dry Rub is favored by the old guard and the Tricked-Up Brisket Rub is akin to what some of the younger up-starts in the barbecue world are doing to add a little more dimension to their burnt ends. Both rubs are great for slow-cooking and smoking brisket. You only need to make one rub to make this brisket so just pick whichever is more appealing to you. Be sure to purchase an untrimmed brisket. The meat needs all of the fat cap to keep it moist during the long cooking time.

Editor's note: The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com .

Editor's note: The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com .

In a twist on the classic Italian combination of peaches and Amaretto, Ferrigno pairs fresh apricots with a seriously over-the-top syrup, made with amaretti and the liqueur, that plays up the complexity of the sweet-and-tart fruit.

The secret to making this dish so stunningly delicious is duck fat. Puréeing the sauce emulsifies the fat, which, along with the moist duck meat, adds an irreplaceable element of richness.

What happens when you take the tomato sauce out of a lasagne? The delicacy of the noodles (egg-enriched lasagne sheets are a must here) and cheese really comes through. "My very good friend Claudio from Perugia gave me his family recipe for this dish many years ago, and I was delighted by its lightness," says Ferrigno.

A bit more decadent, and dare we say subtle, than standard limoncello, this smooth, rich "cream" version (though made with only 1 % milk) will wow your guests every time.

The addition of the sweet vermouth here punctuates the natural sweetness of the canned tomatoes, making this quick sauce taste as if it's been simmered for hours.

Traditionally, this bouillabaisse-like stew is rich with tomatoes and chunks of wild-caught freshwater fish such as perch, tench, eel, trout, and pike. While wild-caught is best, fillets of farmed freshwater fish—including tilapia, catfish, trout, and arctic char—also work well.

The sweetness of the carrots is a nice contrast to the slightly bitter beer.

There are many variations of haroseth, a mixture of fruit, nuts, and honey. This version is light and fresh, with a nice crunch. Haroseth is one of the six elements of the seder plate, and is left on the table for the rest of the meal. It is traditionally served with matzo.

One of our favorite spring ingredients— rhubarb—shines in this dessert. The compote can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.

A flavorful light supper or first course.

Wine and dried fruit bring a sweet richness to this humble cut of meat.

Serve with toasted country bread.

An elegant meal for four that requires only 20 minutes active time? That's our kind of dinner. This creamy, comforting dish is just the type of thing you crave on a blustery March night. Because aged vin jaune can be hard to come by in the United States, we substituted a two-year-old Savagnin (with a flavor similar to a dry Sherry) and were very happy with the results.