Beverages

The mint in this juice ties together the sweet pineapple and tart green apple so well that you won't even notice the spinach.

With its creamy, delicate flavor and cleansing ginger, this juice is perfect for after an indulgent holiday or Christmas.

This is a green juice that doesn't taste green. The mango adds antioxidants and sweet flavor, while the nutrients in the kale and apples help detoxify the liver and fight free radicals.

This recipe is a great way to start the day, especially if you are on a weight-loss program. It is low in calories, but the natural fruit sugars will keep your appetite in check. This drink is particularly rich in flavonoids. Make sure you leave as much of the albido (the white pithy part of the peel) as possible on the grapefruit, as this is rich in flavonoids.

This robust, vibrant-color juice is packed with big flavors and energy-boosting nutrients to get you going in the morning.

The spicy and perfectly tart shrub (flavored drinking vinegar) gives this pitcher-friendly cocktail a refreshing quality.

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.

Rompope is served chilled, often over ice, but it can be served warm, which is how I prefer it when cold weather sets in. Either way, it's rich, velvety, fragrant, and certainly full of cheer.

A sparkling drink made blush with a tart beet granita. Ruby-skinned beets are an unexpected but welcome ingredient in cocktails: their high sugar content and bright hue make them an excellent, all-natural way to add a pop of color and flavor. Here, the beets are pureed into a granita, with spicy star anise and allspice to complement their earthy undertones, and then topped with a refreshing dose of prosecco.

Hard liquor, served hot. In times past, hot toddies were often prescribed as a head-cold remedy. Today, liquor as medication is generally frowned upon because of its dehydrating effects. However, if you're one of those people who can't tolerate over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, this beverage may offer the relief you need—just drink an extra glass of water to replenish your body.

A refreshing homemade soda that can quench a thirst as well as feed a chocolate fix. Refrigerate the leftover chocolate syrup for another use.

The idea here is to concentrate a few strong complementary flavors to create a cake that is pleasantly bitter and not too sweet. Tartine chiffon cake is made with whole-grain dark buckwheat flour, and then layered with blood orange marmalade and bergamot-infused blackout chocolate ganache. The ganache sets quickly, so cut your cake layers and have your filling and syrup on hand when ready to assemble.

You're going to want to add this gently spiced and meltingly tender fish to your simple weeknight meal rotation.

No matter how fanatical you are about straining the milk, some sediment will settle as it sits. Shake or stir before using.

I love grapefruit cocktails year-round, but the rye and sage make this one especially wintry.

To faithfully re-create this cocktail, do as Nostrana does and seek out blue plum brandy from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery.

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.

Gravy is pure comfort for me, and if I can make a gravy into a meal, so much the better. This is one of my favorite ways to have a rich, comforting, and filling dinner in less than half an hour. It also contains one of my favorite methods to get a toasty gravy base with lots of depth—toasting bread crumbs. After caramelizing the onions, you sprinkle in the bread crumbs and toss them around a bit until golden brown. Then, when you add the liquid ingredients, the bread crumbs thicken and flavor the gravy. It's wonderful served with grilled or sautéed kale, and over mashed potatoes.

If you have a fetish for dark chocolate, this will fuel your flame. It will also energize your body with antioxidants that boost blood flow to the brain (and a few other vital organs). Cocoa, kale, and cherries, three beloved and sexy superfoods, contain flavonoids and antioxidants that fight heart disease and diabetes and even promote brain growth.