Beverages

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Why you'll make it: Because it's that one easy, really delicious recipe for barbecued chicken that every cook needs. Grilling bone-in chicken takes a bit more time than boneless, but the flavor payoff is worth it. Stay close to the grill and flip the pieces every six to eight minutes. Rub spices on the chicken at least six hours ahead.

Why you'll make it: Because it's an all-purpose refresher — drink it straight, top with sparkling water, or spike with vodka, gin, or tequila.

All-American hot fudge gets a jolt of flavor from ground coffee beans.

Bourbon lends depth to the sauce and extra sweetness to the cream filling, but this dessert is fantastic even without it.

If you're searching for a showstopping dessert (that is secretly easy to make) to serve company, look no further. Each gorgeous — and delicious — tricolored slice is a canvas of decorative swirls: vibrant orange, deep purple, and creamy white.

Those abstaining from the cocktails will appreciate this equally refreshing use of basil and lemon, two flavors that pair beautifully.

This fragrant twist on the gimlet cocktail gets its clean green notes not from lime juice but from fresh basil. For extra glamour and aroma, tuck small sprigs of additional basil into each glass.

When you've had your fill of ripe peaches eaten out of hand, peel the rest for this fruity-tangy sauce. Brush it on grilled pork or chicken toward the end of cooking, and serve extra on the side. And who could say no to a dab of leftover sauce on a cream cheese — topped cracker?

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirées by Colin Cowie. For more about Cowie, click here. I can't remember a Christmas back at home when we didn't sit around the family table and enjoy my sister Anne's wonderful tart at the end of the meal. It's heartwarming and incredibly convenient: It can be made days in advance and frozen, with no effect on the delicious result. For Christmastime, add 1/2 cup glacéed cherries to the batter; these holiday treats are the red and green cherries, preserved in jars.

Clams cooked in the shell pop open on the grill, just like they do when steamed. And there's a bonus for the cook: No big, heavy pot is needed.

If desired, garnish drinks with a wedge of grilled pineapple and a chile slice.

A festive margarita variation with muddled fresh blackberries, thyme, and sparkling wine.

Slow-roasting at a very low temperature results in extremely tender salmon. The richness of the fish is accented by a salty-sweet red-wine sauce, which thickens into a syrupy glaze during cooking.

On a recent visit to London, Knauer overheard a local in a pub ordering a "Guinness and Black" — which turned out to be the famous Irish stout plus a shot of blackberry brandy. That combination is also the genius behind these floats; the brandy's luscious fruitiness bridges the gap between the sweet ice cream and bitter beer.