Horseradish

Vibrant greens, handfuls of fresh herbs, nuts for crunch, and horseradish for bite. Ingredients are suggestions; feel free to mix it up.

Adding any of these flavorful ices on top of your oysters is an easy way to up your raw bar game.

Throw this spread together a day in advance—the flavors will meld and intensify as it sits.

Soaking the onion mellows its sharpness. If you can't find fresh horseradish, add 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish to the crème fraîche mixture.

I introduced this recipe to the Oyster Bar in the early 1990s. We serve about 12 gallons of it every day.

I insisted that the theme of my coming-of-age party be mocktails and canapes because I wanted to be grown up, and had often seen my mum eat canapes at parties. My Rose Beef Bites are delicate and also delicious, with beef and horseradish being lifelong friends. Spending a tiny amount of time to be sure the beef looks pretty makes these canapés stunning to behold. Assemble the beef before the party, so then it's only a matter of spread, drop, serve, and smile!

This one is cheesy, tangy, and a little spicy. Serve with plenty of crackers.

Toasting grains and seeds is a simple move that adds texture and deep flavor to this green salad. The dressing will be milder if you use fresh horseradish, or sharp and a tad spicy if you use prepared.

Russian dressing and Thousand Island dressing are often confused because both begin with a base of mayonnaise and ketchup or ketchup-style chili sauce, which results in a pink salad dressing. But where Thousand Island is a bit sweet and studded with pickle relish, Russian dressing is on the spicier side, with a hint of heat from horseradish and hot sauce. For more information about salad dressings and tips on making them from scratch, see our Homemade Salad Dressing Primer.

Not your standard deviled eggs, these are bright from the addition of vinegar and horseradish and are broiled just before serving.

Smørrebrød only sound complicated. "You can put whatever you want on them," says chef Nicolaus Balla, who serves the Scandinavian open-face sandwiches at San Francisco's Bar Tartine. Simply slather a creamy spread like butter or sour cream on dense rye bread. Top with classic combos like roast beef and crisp onions, or smoked salmon and scallions—and since they're on view, make sure they look good. Finish with herbs, lemon zest—anything, really, except a second piece of bread.

This is especially pretty made with a mix of orange and purple carrots, and even nicer if you flute the carrots lengthwise with a channel knife before slicing them—this results in slices with pretty scalloped edges. A channel knife is handy for cutting decorative strips of citrus zest, too; you can pick one up in nearly any gourmet shop.

This dish is inspired by a salad on the menu at Keens Steakhouse in NYC.

Smoked and fresh fish join forces in this much-appreciated update to the often-maligned gefilte fish. To get the job done faster, use two skillets.

If you're trying to incorporate more dark leafy greens into your meals, Swiss chard is a great starter vegetable. It cooks quickly compared to kale and collards, and the stems are as delicious as the leaves. In fact, the stems are the prized portion of the plant in Provence, and that's not something kale or collards can brag about. We prefer green Swiss chard in this recipe because it cooks up a brighter green than red or rainbow chard and the stems are more tender, but if you can't find the green, don't hesitate to use other chards. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Hanukkah Feast. Menu also includes Salmon with Potato "Scales" and Apple Fritters with Orange Glaze .

You say potato; we say, Ahhh. The tubers help restock your magnesium stores; low levels can up mental stress.

For a bonus do-ahead, peel the potatoes the day before, place them in a bowl of water, and refrigerate to prevent browning.

Hollowed-out cherry tomatoes are spiked with horseradish mayo in this summery appetizer.

Small, sweet wild Maine shrimp are sold frozen from brownetrading.com when not in season. You can also substitute other shrimp cut into 1/2" pieces. This recipe makes extra horseradish mayo. Put it out to spread on other sandwiches.

Use this dressing to punch up sturdy greens such as escarole or radicchio.