Red Wine

Treat this as a weekend project (quick it's not) and your Sunday supper will be off the charts.

Braising octopus might sound advanced, but it's as easy as simmering a pot of beans.

Top the most amazing beef stew with the flakiest pie crust and discover the most comforting dish you’ll eat all winter.

EFFORT: NOT MUCH
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 6 HOURS
KEEPS ON WARM: 1 HOUR The ingredient list is designed for use in a medium (4- to 5 1/2-quart) slow cooker. See the cook's notes for ingredient lists for small (2- to 3 1/2-quart) and large (6- to 8-quart) models.

An easy fancy meal with a bonus: Mushrooms and tomato may fight cancer.

The plummy-berry notes of red wine are highlighted when mixed with chocolate and butter into a glaze that drips over the edges of this decadent dark chocolate cake.

Most braises start by browning the meat. Not this one. The cooked meat is sliced, floured, and seared at the end, which lends a pro touch to this dish.

This sauce is the cook's best friend and the building block of many great French dishes. The powdered stuff sold in stores is not even in the same ballpark. This fond, or foundation sauce, takes my Basic Veal Stock then flavors and reduces it to intensify its power. Fond de Veau does require a bit of preparation and is probably the most expensive sauce I use, but it is so worth it for the potent, authentic flavor it confers to something like sautéed porcini mushrooms or as literally the secret sauce in the Ragout of Lamb Shoulder with Cavatelli.

Shaking the egg white and other drink ingredients without ice—known as a "dry shake"—helps get the whites foamy without diluting the drink.

Like most Francophiles, when we are not traveling to French-speaking (and -eating) destinations, we are at home, dreaming of them and inspired by them as we cook the foods we love. Steak frites is the definitive French bistro dish; our portobello version features a juicy red wine reduction that sings with tarragon and a touch of Dijon. You can easily make restaurant-crisp fries at home with the Vedge method: start with baked potatoes, then crisp them up in a little oil.

Kierin Baldwin's pie dough method is special in a couple of ways. First, she uses a combination of butter, which lends rich flavor, and shortening, which makes the flakiest crusts. The best of both worlds. Her technique of repeatedly flattening and stacking the dough coats the flour with fat, which helps make the crust tender.

Strisce means strips—any long pasta will work—and Chiantigiana refers to the Tuscan wine used to flavor the sauce.

Earthy mushrooms, wine, and tomato bring out the best in this tender game meat. The mushrooms, with their meaty texture, round out the portion, so you get an extra-generous amount on your plate. If you can't get venison, pork tenderloin works well, too.

Remember that the color of the stalks, which can range from pale pink to deep red, will affect the color of the filling. Choose dark-red stalks for a vibrant hue.

A red wine float turns the classic, summery whiskey sour into a cold-weather favorite.

Meat Todd: I took the traditional Jewish braised brisket (see The Jewish Brisket, Modernized) and added techniques from my French arsenal to come up with a modern, elegant version of this beloved meat dish. It must be made a day before you wish to serve it, but there's an extra plus with that—it lets all the flavors fully develop and frees you for other things.

This recipe makes quite a bit of stock, but that's a blessing since it must cook for 24 hours. Freeze it in 1-quart containers (or smaller) so it's handy for later use. If you are pressed for time, by all means begin with a prepared version of demiglace (available in most grocery stores or online, such as Demi-Glace Gold brand), and dilute it with 2 to 3 parts water—this is a fine and practical option to making your own veal stock.

This lightly spiced sangria is packed with green apple and citrus flavor.

Short ribs, aromatic vegetables and herbs braise in wine-infused sauce until the meat nearly falls off the bone, and is served with a smashing combination of mixed fall vegetables.