TASTElist

Got your hands on some good, fresh oysters? Serve these luscious bivalves in haute style with caviar, mirapoix, and coriander. You’ll need your oyster-shucking tool, of course. And don’t forget to buy a hefty amount of ice or salt to serve this starter on a bed of ice or salt for a cool, crisp, dramatic backdrop.

This is a dish not to be savored lightly. Nor is Foie Gras Torchon a dish to be created easily. Skill, daring, and attention to detail are the unlisted ingredients necessary for this delicacy to be a success. But when it is done correctly —my, oh my.

By dressing up classic Spanish sangría with Spiced Simple Syrup and tart cranberries, Chef Jose Garces of Philadelphia has created an ideal cocktail for a winter holiday celebration. It’s best to start the day before you plan to serve the sangría, by macerating fresh cranberries and diced Granny Smith apples in the simple syrup. Next day, add a bottle of Tempranillo rosé, and a half cup each of port wine, Cointreau, and cranberry juice. Chill, and let the party begin.

Pot Pie is a cold-weather classic and a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving bird or other cooked poultry. But the key to a good pot pie is tasty creamed fowl (take your pick of creamed chicken, turkey, or even duck) with a nice acidic note. Of course, you can always eat it as is over rice or noodles for a Midwest classic.

One of the most ubiquitous casseroles around, the pot pie has many incarnations, both good and bad—but when it’s good, it’s memorable. With tasty Creamed Turkey (or Creamed Chicken, if you prefer), loads of vegetables, and a no-fuss puff pastry crust, this one falls in the good category. We think you’ll agree. What to buy: We used Dufour puff pastry with excellent results, but if you prefer a denser crust, try topping your pot pie with frozen store-bought flaky pie dough. This recipe was feat...

This delicate frosting has a nice cream cheese flavor and just enough sweetness to complement any cupcake or cake without overwhelming it. We even use it to top our Zucchini and Pine Nut Muffins. Make-ahead note: The frosting will last up to 1 week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Our classic Irish coffee recipe comes from Dutch Kills, an equally classic bar in Long Island City, New York. The warm, revivifying cocktail was said to be popularized in the 1940s by Joseph Sheridan, a chef in the port city of Foynes, Ireland. In 1952, Irish Coffee was introduced to San Francisco by the Buena Vista Cafe. Sheridan’s recipe was written with the effortless poetry of the Irish: “Cream—rich as an Irish brogue; coffee—strong as a friendly hand; sugar—sweet as the tongue of a rogue.

New York food and beverage expert Nick Mautone turned us on to this cocktail, a blend of sparkling wine with brandy, warm spices, and a touch of brown sugar. It’s the perfect opening to a memorable Thanksgiving, a sophisticated and seasonally-driven cocktail for a Christmas get-together, and an ideal prelude to the cork-popping moment when the New Year rings in at midnight.

Here’s a head-clearing daytime cocktail with a double dose of ginger. First, make our Ginger-Infused Vodka (it needs to infuse at least overnight, preferably longer, so plan accordingly). Then slip a couple of ounces of it in a cocktail shaker, along with tomato juice, fresh horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lime juice, the usual battery of Bloody Mary spices, and—and here’s what makes this Bloody really remarkable—another hit of ginger, in the form of freshly grated root. Shake, pour ove...

Here’s an adaptation of a bubbly celebration drink from American mixology pioneer Dale DeGroff. It combines añejo tequila, blood orange juice, aromatic Clément Créole Shrubb liqueur, and a top-up with sparkling rosé. What to buy: Blood orange juice is available at well-stocked grocery stores and online. Clément Créole Shrubb liqueur, from Martinique, is made up of a blend of rums flavored with spices and orange. We featured this recipe in our Drinks Around the World for New Year’s Eve story.

Creamed spinach can be clunky, rich with so much cream and butter the spinach itself is an afterthought. Start by reducing cream while infusing it with a subtle hit of onion. Separately, wilt the spinach, drain off the excess liquid, then add the reduced cream, season, and serve. For a classic steakhouse dinner, pair this creamed spinach with Roasted Herbed Beef Tenderloin, a Caesar Salad, and Dilled Potato Gratin.

A careful balance of salty and sweet, crisp and chewy, these nuts are the perfect accompaniment for cocktail hour. You start with raw, untoasted cashews, toss them with oil and set aside. Then you make a syrup with brown sugar, a little water, and honey. Drizzle it over the cashews, toss, spread onto baking sheets and toast in a medium oven till golden brown and crisp. The cashews will last 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature. We featured this recipe in our Bring Happy ...