New Years

Just as American children anxiously await their Christmas gifts months in advance, I anxiously awaited this scrumptious cake. Nian-Gao, New Year's cake, is one of the most important holiday dishes in many Asian countries. Eating Nian-Gao during the New Year's celebration is said to bring safety and fortune to the entire family for the coming year, though I now make it for family gatherings throughout the year.

Collards and kale have some chew to them. Use your hands to work the dressing into the leaves until they soften and start to wilt.

Choose an unaged aquavit like Aalborg.

We use sparkling rosé wine here mostly for its color. Any decent bubbly will work as a substitute.

I insisted that the theme of my coming-of-age party be mocktails and canapes because I wanted to be grown up, and had often seen my mum eat canapes at parties. My Rose Beef Bites are delicate and also delicious, with beef and horseradish being lifelong friends. Spending a tiny amount of time to be sure the beef looks pretty makes these canapés stunning to behold. Assemble the beef before the party, so then it's only a matter of spread, drop, serve, and smile!

Shredded coconut, which is cut more finely than the thick flaked type called for here, will work in a pinch.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of Fox's MasterChef.

Everyone needs one quick, easy, go-to recipe that looks and tastes like a million bucks. These eggs work like a charm: the fragrant truffle oil adds rich, sexy appeal, and a sprinkle of black lava salt lends an elegant finish. Make them super bling by adding a tiny flake of edible 24k gold leaf to each.

This harkens to those beloved jam-filled cookies that have been favorites in cookie jars for generations. This savory twist embellishes the dough with Parmesan cheese, the jam in question made with tomato and tart cherries. The jam recipe makes more than is needed for this batch of cookies, but it's not practical to make in smaller quantities. Extra will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Spread it on turkey or ham sandwiches, slather it on chicken breasts before baking, or serve as an accompaniment to cheese. You can use dried cranberries in place of the dried tart cherries, if you like. For a short-cut version, you could nix making the jam here and simply use prepared plum or fig jam, or another minimally sweet jam.

Psilakis uses fresh sheep's milk ricotta, but fresh cow's milk ricotta works, too.

This dish is as good as the time and ingredients you put into it, so use quality ingredients and patience to get the flavors to harmonize. A teaspoon of white truffle oil can substitute for the black truffles.

Bourbon puts a distinctively American spin on this classic French hors d’oeuvre. The booze also helps balance the rich and unctuous chicken livers, which are sautéed in a heady mix of onion, garlic, and herbs. While it needs to be chilled only for two hours before you can dig in, wait a day or two and you’ll give the flavors a chance to really develop. For holiday celebrations, serve this pâté in a terrine. Alternatively, divide it among ramekins to create unique and indulgent hostess gifts.

This traditional take on broiled oysters is an elegant way to begin a dinner party—just multiply the servings by the number of guests. The French mignonette sauce offers an acidic complement to the briny shellfish, while Champagne grapes lend fruity sweetness. If Champagne grapes are unavailable, use seedless red table grapes instead. If you feel unsure about how to shuck an oyster, just purchase them on the half shell.

This appetizer is a total fake-out and a lot of fun to serve. Ellen and Portia absolutely loved these the first time I served them. They both had fond memories attached to caviar, and this recipe brought back those fun times without compromising their vegan diet. Serve these little morsels with a glass of Champagne and share them with some cool friends.

Redzepi uses whatever foraged mushrooms he finds to make this rich ragout; feel free to do the same while foraging at your local farmers' market or supermarket. Omit the oysters and lardo (used here in place of Speck), if desired.

This is a decadent dish that is very popular with my family at Christmas-time, when pasta with seafood is a holiday tradition for Italians. For others, though, it’s a reminder of summers on the Cape or in the Hamptons. Whatever memories it may conjure for you, we can all probably agree that it is a rich, sophisticated dish that puts a smile on the face of anyone who tastes it.

If you’re cooking for someone special, you won’t find many dishes more romantic than this one. It looks sophisticated, tastes rich, and makes a real statement. It’s one of my standbys when I want to make a cozy dinner for me and my husband.

Traditional Japanese soba noodles can be made of wheat or buckwheat, a fruit seed related to rhubarb that’s loaded with manganese and the antioxidants quercetin and kaempferol. Because the seed is also gluten free, buckwheat noodles are a good choice for those with gluten sensitivities.