Alcohol

For this rustic French meal, start with mixed greens dressed with lemon vinaigrette; serve new potatoes tossed in butter and parsley with the beef; and end with plum tarts topped with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The malt flavor of Guinness stout marries well with the sugar and milk in this distinctive ice cream--inspired by a recipe from the files of the American Homebrewers Association--and the faintly bitter aftertaste cuts the sweetness.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a great drink that is guaranteed to take the chill off a winter day. It's also quite nice with an added splash of brandy or Kahlúa.

Finish off this meal with some cookies from the bakery and fresh fruit.

Buy an apple tart for dessert.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

To allow enough time for the soufflés to freeze, make them at least one day before serving.

Throughout the Spanish-speaking world, thickened sweetened milk is a regular feature at dessert time (and, like all treats, whenever Mom isn’t looking). Though not difficult to make from scratch on top of the stove, the use of condensed milk eliminates the need for constant stirring. Be sure to check the water level in the pan about halfway through cooking; if it’s low, carefully add a little more.

Jean Anderson, author of The American Century Cookbook, traces the origin of sloppy joes to the depression-era 1930s, and the popularity of this messy ground-beef sandwich increased markedly in the fifties and sixties. We update it with ground turkey, canned diced chilies and ale.