Tequila

Blue curaçao provides the color and lime peel, the freshness.

Freezing the watermelon and strawberries before mixing the drink eliminates the need for ice  — and allows the fruit flavors to retain their full intensity.

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

Made with reduced-fat cream cheese and light sour cream, this cheesecake is irresistible — just like its namesake cocktail.

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.

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.

Michael McLaughlin, cookbook author, says, "Not all Thanksgiving traditions originated decades ago. This recent addition to my holiday menu lineup was inspired by my move to Santa Fe. With locally grown green chilies readily available and pine nuts growing on piñon trees right outside my back door, a southwestern-style stuffing incorporating both ingredients seemed a natural. The tequila-soaked raisins are a sweet surprise." Make the corn bread a day ahead.

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