Wine

On a really hot day, freeze fruit for an hour or two prior to serving—it acts like sweet ice cubes.

Just as easy and fun to cook as they are to eat, mussels deserve a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation.

We call this a Persian Kir Royale—and can think of no better way to start a meal. This recipe yields more syrup than you'll need; use the surplus for fruity nonalcoholic spritzers or drizzle it over ice cream.

Don't use your best Champagne for this dessert—any affordable bottle of cava or Prosecco will do. The key ingredient in this machine-free sorbet is the apricots: Choose the ripest, most fragrant ones you can find.

Named for bar and spirits director Brian Bartels's former address, this is a more complex take on a Mimosa.

This whole roasted cauliflower has become a signature of Domenica chef Alon Shaya. Precooking the cauliflower in seasoned liquid infuses it with flavor.

Trimming tender baby artichokes is simple. As you go, transfer them to lemon water to keep them from turning brown.

With the rise of the Italian and Portuguese populations in Rhode Island's fishing communities in the middle of the nineteenth century came the introduction of the tomato into traditional clam chowder. By the twentieth century, this new version came to be called Manhattan clam chowder (some historians say that it was also called Coney Island clam chowder and Fulton Market clam chowder). It is believed that disdainful New Englanders named the red-stained chowder after Manhattan because they believed New Yorkers were the only ones crazy enough to add tomato to a pristine white chowder.

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.

Risotto only sounds intimidating—if you can stir, you can make it. Poaching the eggs ahead of time should quell any lingering performance anxiety.

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

This is a cocktail everyone should master. Bonus: It gives you a chance to experiment with all those new bitters.

The belly's thick layer of fat keeps the pork tender as it cooks. It's cooked low and slow to ensure the meat is tender, then crisped up over high heat.

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.

Ask for the smallest lamb your butcher has (like those from New Zealand), or buy a 3 1/2-4-pound piece of a leg.

This stew uses bottled clam juice, a smart shortcut to a robust broth.

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

A little white wine and lots of fresh herbs put a refined spin on this classic that tastes just as good the next day.

Guinness is considered by its many aficionados to be extremely creamy, but when you add it to Champagne or prosecco, its fruitiness emerges as well. The proportions are roughly two parts bubbly to one part Guinness, but you can mix it to taste. It's a bit of a novelty drink, but, like Irish Coffee, it's found all over Ireland. Black Velvet is a terrific party drink. It's Irish, you can mix it to order as guests arrive, it's delicious—and it stretches your Champagne farther!