Whiskey

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Corn muffins, coleslaw and boiled green beans round out the main course. Finish with peach pie à la mode.

Fresh fruit marinated in Scotch and sugar is a lovely topper for the purchased cake.

Cranachan is Scotland's traditional harvest-time pudding, a blend of Crowdie (an artisanal cottage cheese), cream, toasted oats, berries, whisky, and honey. Here, it's updated with crème fraîche (instead of the Crowdie), toasted hazelnuts, and grated chocolate, and served parfait-style in individual goblets. To allow the flavors to meld, assemble the parfaits ahead of time and chill them overnight before serving.

A "wee dram" enhances the lovely filling.

Variants: Hot Brandy Toddy, Hot Rum Toddy

Most vegetable gratins need to be bound with a white sauce. This is not true of gratins made from starchy vegetables, which will release enough starch to thicken the liquid around them. Here the sweet potatoes are baked first to concentrate their sweetness and then cooked a second time with just enough cream to mellow them out. This dish is an ideal accompaniment to roast poultry or pork.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

"Instead of staring at the ceiling one night when I was having trouble sleeping, I passed the time by baking," says Angelo Monaco of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "The result of my insomnia was this chocolate cake. It's light, moist and really delicious."

It's hard to believe that a Michelin-starred establishment would serve a dessert that's this simple, but good cooking is about knowing when to leave well enough alone. Steve prefers Irish whiskey for the ice-cream, but you can use Scotch.

Serve over vanilla ice cream and top with whipped cream.

It is said that bourbon was first distilled in 1789 by a Virginia minister, and by the nineteenth century it had become an important regional industry. It makes a great cocktail, of course, but we also like it in this rich sauce.

A version of the southern classic; this one has a fudgy texture.

Beef rib meat becomes tender and succulent with slow cooking over low, indirect heat. Marinate the ribs overnight and allow for three hours of cooking time on the grill.

Hoisin sauce — a combination of soybeans, garlic, chiles, and spices — lends a sweet-spicy flavor to this pork roast. Look for it at Asian markets and well-stocked supermarkets. What to drink: Uncork an Australian Merlot or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

A whiskey-spiked variation on classic pecan pie. Serve the tartlets with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.