Bon Appétit

We used a lot of fresh mint in this cookie for both the real color and flavor. The flavor will intensify as the cookies sit; make ahead if that’s your thing.

Rye flour adds an earthy-nutty dimension and absorbs more molasses than all-purpose flour. The result is a cookie with the smoky caramel finish of rye whiskey.

Celery juice—all the rage! But still kind of a hard sell. With apple, parsley, apple cider vinegar, and a dusting of black pepper, things start to get interesting. Better yet: It also tastes good with gin.

No booze required for this soothing green tea toddy. But if you do want an extra dose of warmth, we like this with smoky mezcal.

This big batch of jalapeño-spiced orange-lime juice keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. Pour it over ice and top it with seltzer for a refreshing alcohol-free pick-me-up.

This salad is palate-cleansing and refreshing. A little spicy, a little tart—and you can prep it in advance.

Toasting the pine nuts until they’re properly golden brown to the center and not just on the surface is key in coaxing out maximum flavor. That said, pine nuts are expensive and can burn, so keep a close eye on them as they cook.

A holiday-spiced grenadine syrup, club soda, and a twist is a grown-up Shirley Temple we can all enjoy. For the adults who want to imbibe, a splash of Scotch fits just right.

Imagine a pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature: the candied nut topping. Now spike the custard with rye whiskey, up the flavor of the crust with rye flour, and voilà.

A sharp lemon filling, sweet-and-salty meringue, and shatteringly crisp crust combine to make a balanced update to this classic.

A dazzling chocolate pudding pie cloaked in voluminous whipped cream. The secret to that whipped cream’s great height: Setting it with dissolved gelatin means it won’t deflate or weep when chilled.

Bake your pie crusts ahead so your oven is free for the turkey on the big day. They will keep at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 days.

Roasted peanuts pull double duty in the graham cracker crust and sprinkled over the topping, keeping the bananas from making this pie excessively sweet.

A make-ahead gravy that doesn’t rely on turkey drippings or a roux. The gravy’s depth of flavor comes from roasted poultry bones and—surprise!—a sprinkle of MSG, which has an umami-to-the-max effect.

This sliceable, jiggly sauce is spiced with bay leaves and cardamom, set in a gelatin mold, and crowned with sugared orange zest and cranberries.

This holiday-buffet-ready salad has bright Asian pear, salty aged cheese, a dynamic pecan dressing, and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

On the continuum from slightly textured to exquisitely satiny spuds, use a potato masher (rustic, but fine!), ricer (nicer!), or food mill fitted with the finest disk (woooow!).

It’s ideal to serve these leeks warm (the smell just out of the oven is amazing), but they can also be made a few hours ahead and served at room temperature.

Cooking the pulverized corn nuts in butter along with the stuffing vegetables blooms them like spices, bringing out all their earthy, funky, wonderful corniness.

Pairing earthy, hardy leafy greens with cooling coconut milk, a hot chile, and spices gives this side dish a full range of bitter, sweet, and tingling flavors.