Beverages

(Café Liègeois Onctueux) Liège is a province of Belgium; café liègeois is usually coffee ice cream with whipped cream, but it can also be iced coffee with whipped cream. This thick drink—served elegantly in wineglasses—combines the two styles into one delicious dessert.

Jason Corrigan, chef at A Touch of Garlic in Springfield, Massachusetts, writes: "In the past, I've worked at large restaurants, catering to hundreds of people every night. That alone taught me every possible shortcut to speed up the cooking process: For instance, slicing raw potatoes to reduce boiling time, pounding meat thin so it cooks more quickly, and of course, the mise en place — getting everything prepped so you're just reaching for ingredients at the last minute." Pounding the meat reduces cooking time.

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Judith W. Harris of San Mateo, California, writes: "I recently made these chocolate almond bars for a tea. They were all consumed with requests for more." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Check the supermarket produce section for fresh peeled and sliced mangoes. You'll need about four cups of diced mangoes.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Cooking Time: 6 hours on HIGH plus another 6 hours on LOW
Slow Cooker Size: 5 quart There will be no leftovers. This recipe will make you fall in love with your slow cooker. Your house will be perfumed with the aromas of southern France. Enjoy!

This one can also be a spritzer. Pour into a collins or highball glass and top with a little club soda.

Offer crusty bread to dip into the wonderful broth. What to drink: A crisp, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc from California or ice-cold pale ale.

Anthony Bourdain I will always associate the smell of this dish with my first imaginings of France — and with the imminent arrival of guests. When I smelled this dish cooking downstairs, I knew company was coming. My mother made it for special occasions only. I remember being terrifically impressed that she served it in scallop shells. I yearned for this dish — knowing it only by smells — and was delighted when I finally turned old enough to sit down to eat with the adults. This was the reward.

Use a Microplane grater or the smallest holes on a box grater to remove the lemon peel in thin, fine pieces. Any delicate buttery cookies — such as pirouettes, small shortbreads, or tender madeleines — would be delicious with the granita.

It's famous, it's infamous, it's notorious. It has destroyed diets and led to love affairs. Marriages have been proposed over it, couples have been wed in it, princes have been made from it. People have traveled from all corners of the world for just one sip of our creamy, dreamy, icy blend of chocolatey goodness. It'll make you want to blow bubbles through your straw. It makes everyone a child again. For years, fans begged and plead and offered firstborn sons for the recipe, but we three princes guarded the formula with our lives. It was such a closely kept secret that not even the White House could gain access to it. Jackie Kennedy once requested the recipe so that it could be served at a gala evening at the While House. I offered to travel to Washington to make it myself, but when my security clearance didn't come through in time, I refused to hand over the secret formula — not even to the First Lady herself! When customers asked how it was made, we would respond that we had a Rube Goldberg machine churning it out in the back — a hodgepodge of arms, wheels, gears, handles, paddles, and even canaries in cages working in concert to concoct the magic elixir. We would never let on that it was as simple as a blender and some magnificent chocolate. And now, to thank our customers for fifty great years, we've finally decided to share the secret recipe with the world. For truly authentic Serendipity taste, throw a sprinkle of magic in the mix. For this and all the frozen drinks that follow, the recipe yields one gigantic Serendipity-sized serving, which is perfect for sharing. Enjoy.

Made with reduced-fat cream cheese and light sour cream, this cheesecake is irresistible — just like its namesake cocktail.

This stew is great served with noodles.

Depending on the size and shape of your waffle pan, the yield for this recipe will vary. Freeze extra waffles to enjoy later. Karen Barker makes her own chocolate sauce and chocolate chip ice cream with cherries.