Beverages

Carbonades Flamandes This traditional Flemish recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. After hours over low heat, the meat becomes remarkably tender, the onions are sweetly caramelized, and the ale simmers down to a rich sauce. If you prefer a thicker stew, remove the lid for the last two hours of cooking. Serve this dish with a good Belgian beer. This recipe was originally part of a feature on slow cooking. For additional recipes and tips for using a slow cooker, click here.

Ginger beer is a staple in Jamaica, and the best is homemade (it's easy to do, as you'll see in this recipe). Resist the temptation to use commercial ginger beer for this drink — it's too sweet.

The Piña Colada was born in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. Give this version an extra dose of the tropics with a stylish shredded-coconut rim (see below).

The jerk seasoning can be made a day in advance. The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours and can sit as long as overnight.

Guava and sautéed mango add subtle sweetness to this elegant dish. What to drink: A crisp, dry white wine with tropical fruit notes, like Pinot Gris.

Gin is big in the British Virgin Islands, as you might imagine. Here, it's combined with local soursop juice and curaçao. The name is a reference to the shade of the Caribbean Sea.

This is the easy way to make ginger beer, where the ginger is simply soaked — just slightly fermented — for 24 hours (another method requires up to a five-day fermentation). Ginger beer is one of Jamaica's most popular soft drinks and is sold practically everywhere, from the supermarket to roadside stands. This drink is wonderfully refreshing. If the ginger heat is too much, tame it with more crushed ice and some club soda.

Anne Marie Gaspard of Gros Islet, St. Lucia, writes: "I've always enjoyed cooking — for my family and for myself. My children are grown, so when they visit on Sundays, I spoil them with good home-cooked meals. During the week I like to make dishes that are different but still easy."

A Cuban dish, enchilado (different from a Mexican enchilada) is seafood cooked in a mildly spicy tomato sauce. Serve this with rice and fried plantains.

A Caribbean spin on the 150-year-old classic, this version infuses pineapple into Pisco (a South American brandy) and uses fresh grapefruit and lime peels for added brightness.

Red peas and kidney beans are one and the same.

A colonial twist on the ubiquitous — and potent — rum punch.

A tisane is a tea-like aromatic infusion; this one is a lovely partner to the cheesecake.

A drink that can also stand in for dessert.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Happy Days with the Naked Chef. For Oliver's Valentine's Day tips, click here. This great little cocktail was made by the barman after my mate Ben and I started working at Monte's.

Forget pie: Strawberry and rhubarb are together again in a whole new way. (Use purchased crepes if you're short on time.)