Tequila

Marinate the tri-tip for at least two hours.

We made an already simple recipe even easier by omitting brand names from the ingredient list. Almost any tequila will do — but after experimenting with several different beers, we found we prefer a lighter-style lager here. This recipe can be readily increased to serve a large crowd.

Guava and papaya nectars and cream of coconut enhance this spin on the Margarita served at Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado.

This smooth sorbet can be made without an ice cream machine.

"While in Sarnia, Ontario, on business, I stayed at the Village Inn and had dinner at its restaurant, Monet's Table," says Melanie Cooke of Calgary, Alberta. "I thought I was being adventurous when I ordered the mussel appetizer my first night there. Obviously I'd lost my sense of adventure when I went back the second night and ordered it again."

From Charleston Grill, Charleston, South Carolina.

Begin making this one day ahead. If you plan to take this on a sailing trip or a picnic, grill the chicken at home, then transport it in a cooler and serve it cold, or let it stand at room temperature up to two hours. Crusty bread and white wine are perfect accompaniments.

Dr. James Henry Salisbury might have been the first of the protein-diet doctors, proclaiming in 1888 that humankind's maladies were caused by too much starchy food. His solution? Chopped lean meat, or hamburger steak. To hide the "liver-y" taste of hamburger, he recommended adding horseradish, mustard or Worcestershire sauce. By the 1900s, Salisbury steak was a staple menu item, often served with mushroom gravy or smothered in onions. This version, inspired by today’s southwestern cooking, has terrific flavor.