Salted Butter Tart
Filed under testers choice
An utterly decadent caramel fills this wonderfully rich tart. And the use of salted butter gives the dessert the right amount of salt to balance the sweet.
Gorgonzola Dolce with Roasted Pears and Spiced Walnuts
Filed under recipes
Gorgonzola dolce is paired with pears and spiced walnuts, a favorite flavor trio in Lombardy. Roasting the pears brings out their sweetness anytime of year.
Basmati Rice with Cinnamon and Saffron
Filed under sides | vegetables
Perfumed with cinnamon and saffron, this fragrant rice dish elevates everything it comes in contact with, whether a simple roast chicken or spiced kebabs.
Oysters with Sweet Pepper Relish
Filed under recipes
The combination of peppers, both sweet and hot, lemon zest, cilantro, cinnamon, and cumin make these plump oysters something special.
Cheddar-Chive Gougères
Filed under testers choice
These mini airy puffs are made with sharp Cheddar cheese and chives. For a little bit of spice and heat, dry mustard and cayenne pepper are mixed in.
Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas
Filed under testers choice
The secret to this intensely flavored mushroom risotto is not only are mushrooms part of the mix, but the risotto is cooked with mushroom-flavored broth.
Turkey Meatloaf
Filed under testers choice
This turkey meatloaf is made from ground turkey, chopped vegetables and is brushed with a tangy bbq sauce. Leftover turkey meatloaf makes great sandwiches.
Macaroni Gratin
Filed under testers choice
This gratin is flavored with sharp Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses and smoky bits of bacon. Use other pasta besides elbow macaroni for a different look.
Long-Cooked Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard
Filed under recipes
This Chinese pork dish uses pork belly (fresh bacon) that’s first braised and then steamed. The double cooking makes the pork belly amazingly tender and supple.
Valtellina Pizzoccheri
Filed under recipes
Pizzoccheri is a hearty flat buckwheat noodle found in the Lombardy region of Italy. The noodles are tossed in a butter sauce of cheese, onion, and sage.
Trenette with Langoustines
Filed under testers choice
Trennette, a long, narrow, flat pasta noodle similar to pappardelle, is tossed in a simple sauce of spicy, garlicky oil. On top is a scattering of parsley.
Shells with Gorgonzola and Pistachios
Filed under recipes
Pasta shells are tossed in a Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese sauce that’s studded with chopped pistachios. The shells hold the cheese sauce wonderfully.
My Mother’s Chicken and Potatoes
Filed under recipes
Lidia’s mother’s recipe calls for pieces of chicken breast and legs to be seared with bacon, peppers, potatoes, onions and seasoned with fresh rosemary.
The Everest Spoons
Filed under recipes
Soft pillows of different flavors–cauliflower and caviar, smoked salmon, and blue cheese and walnuts–are pipped into spoons for these elegant bites.
Olives Stuffed with Ground Beef in Piquant Tomato Ragout
Filed under recipes
Olives are stuffed with a spicy beef mixture and then simmered in a piquant harissa-spiked tomato sauce. The stuffed olives make a lovely party nibble.
Martinez
Filed under recipes
The martinez–a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters–is a subtle, spicy cocktail that’s perfectly blended and balanced.
Manhattan
Filed under recipes
The classic cocktail–the Manhattan–is a combination of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. A lemon peel or maraschino cherry garnishes the glass beautifully.
Gimlet
Filed under recipes
The gimlet is a cocktail that has caused much disagreement. Fresh lime juice, bottled, or, in this case, a combination of both? A great year-round drink.
Gravadlax with Sweet Mustard and Dill Mayonnaise
Filed under recipes
Gravadlax, or gravlax, is thinly slice and mounded on squares of brown bread. It’s easy to cure your own gravlax at home. All you need are salt, sugar, and spices–and, of course, salmon.
Cheddar-Parmesan Crackers
Filed under testers choice
These cheesy, buttery crackers are filled with cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, a bit of dry mustard, and a hint of cayenne pepper for heat.
Barq’s Root Beer-Glazed Ham
Filed under testers choice
Sassfras, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and anise found in root beer enhance the smoky, saltiness goodness of this glazed ham. It’s is an ideal holiday meal.
Medallions of Beef with Foie Gras and Truffles
Filed under recipes
Known as tournedos Rossini, these cuts of beef filet are topped with a slice of seared foie gras and drizzled with an unctuous Madeira wine-truffle sauce.
Fastest Cinnamon Buns
Filed under testers choice
Soft, warm sweet buns are riddled with cinnamon and drizzled with luscious cream cheese-buttermilk glaze for extra enjoyment at breakfast.
Naughty Negroni
Filed under recipes
The classic Negroni–a mix of Campari, vermouth, and gin–was supposedly named for Count Camillo Negroni. Here the drink is lightened by adding sparkling wine.
Burgundian Honey Spice Bread
Filed under recipes
This honey spice bread, filled with fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, candied ginger, and, of course, honey, is a great gingerbread alternative.
