Beverages

A party-perfect entrée — ready in less than half an hour.

This dish is finished with a delicious (and super-easy) basil and tarragon butter.

>Editor's note: The recipe below is from Govind Armstrong's Small Bites, Big Nights and is part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This voluptuous rum-spiked pie will surprise you with its complexity—a hint of curry powder adds an elusive undertone that makes it particularly delicious.

Early-spring evenings often feel a lot like winter, but you won't mind so much with this warm and robust German-style supper at the ready.

Long on flavor and short on time, this classic French dish makes a smart weeknight dinner. Bright with tarragon, it's a great way to welcome spring.

This soup was inspired by a meal at the Copenhagen microbrewery Nørrebro Bryghus. (Who knew breweries could be fine-dining destinations?) Lager lends a malty richness to the velvety broth, thick with mussels; cold chopped avocado and tomato mingle with the heat, bringing the whole spectrum of flavors into sharper focus.

Cocktail historian David Wondrich prefers his martinis this way—that is, with equal parts gin and vermouth, as they were served circa 1910. To achieve the right flavor balance, he suggests using a high-proof, full-bodied gin—such as Tanqueray—that can stand up to the vermouth. For the sake of historical accuracy, he also recommends straining the drink into a chilled cocktail coupe (a stemmed glass with a wide, shallow bowl), because the martini glass as we know it didn't come on the scene until the 1920s.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. The original Martini, which is made with sweet Italian vermouth, sugar syrup, and orange bitters, lost out to the type made with just dry French vermouth, but it is still an excellent drink. This recipe, adapted from the estimable The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book (1935) by Albert Stevens Crockett, calls for Old Tom Gin, which is sweeter than dry gin. Since Old Tom isn't easy to find nowadays, we've substituted a combination of dry gin and simple syrup.

This recipe makes more than enough jam for Chef Ryan Hardy's buttermilk panna cotta . He recommends making the full amount—leftovers are delicious in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Here's a hot chocolate for the coffee lover. Plus, it's decadent enough to serve as dessert.

This over-the-top cake has impressive looks and moistness. Start the cherries ahead: They soak in brandy for a week and then in syrup for at least two days.

Toast St. Patrick's Day with our drink that combines the quintessential Irish spirit with a classic American cocktail. Serve it on the rocks to better balance the Irish whiskey's peaty note. If you prefer it a bit drier, make the vermouth portion half sweet and half dry.

Paired with the pea tendrils, chanterelles, and fingerling potatoes, this main makes the most of spring's best ingredients.

This dessert needs some last-minute assembly, so appoint a helper or line up the components to make it all go smoothly.

Sensational flavor from only six ingredients. Serve with Israeli couscous, which is larger and chewier than the more common variety.