Simple Cooking

Who knew Cabernet and cranberries would make such a dynamic duo? Add dried figs (plumped in the Cabernet ahead of time), and you end up with a winey, fruity fig bar, minus the cookie. This sauce is so fine, you'll be spooning leftovers on ice cream or slathering it on toast in place of jam. It's worth buying extra cranberries and freezing them so you can make more to last you through the winter. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of our Gourmet Modern Menu for Thanksgiving for 2 or 20. Menu also includes: Citrus-Sage Roast Turkey with Gravy (whole turkey or breast ); Roasted Butternut Squash Ribbons with Arugula, Pancetta, and Hazelnut Salad; Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin; Challah, Sausage, and Dried Cherry Stuffing; and for dessert, Apple Crostata with Spiced Caramel Sauce .

Kids and adults alike will get a kick out of these "red-veined eyeball" toasts. The great thing about the boo-schetta is that a platter full of them not only looks eerie but also tastes delicious—a claim you can’t always make when striving for themed party food. Whatever you do, don't blink! These cheese-topped toasts will disappear before your very eyes. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Scary Barbecue Snack Mix and Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pops.

If suave and hipster-hot is your idea of a dessert, you've just found it. These chile-ginger-mint jellies are an almost academic study in the contrasting sensations of hot and cool. The Chinese consider ginger to be hot—it's the source of heat in hot and sour soup—but Americans tend to view ginger more as a fresh, zinging accent of flavor. Add some fresh chile to the ginger and you introduce a new dimension of complexity that's counterbalanced by the cooling aspect of mint. The result? Your taste buds are rewarded with the dynamic duo of fiery hot and icy cold, all in one bite. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Fiery Fare. Menu also includes Spicy Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken.

You can count on snack mix to be the first thing to disappear at a party. Salty, cheesy, crunchy (and with an optional kick of heat)—this addicting combo is a flavor-packed blend of popcorn, tortilla chips, and corn nuts gently scented with tangy barbecue sauce and Spanish smoked paprika. It's the perfect savory balance to an evening's worth of Halloween sweets. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Mozzarella and Roasted Red Pepper Boo-schetta and Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pops.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of barbecue chicken recipes out there, and we've certainly had our share, so we can say with authority that this spicy sweet-and-sour grilled chicken is the best we've had to date. It's got enough heat to titillate your taste buds, but not so much that kids will steer clear. The additions of tomato paste and soy sauce provide deep, dark, low notes that keep the sauce from squealing. In other words, it's heat with harmony.

Ice cream can take a break. These pumpkin cheesecake pops are the ideal finale to your Halloween celebration. If the combination of chocolate and pumpkin hits you as a bit unusual, trust us, it works really well. Consider the two an inspired duo, helped along by the sweet spices used in pumpkin pie. We love the finished pops either chilled or frozen. The funny thing about frozen pops? They could pass for ice cream! Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Halloween: Spooky Snacks. Menu also includes Scary Barbecue Snack Mix and Mozzarella and Roasted Red Pepper Boo-schetta.

Tapioca, like semolina, is one of those things that a school kitchen could have turned you off for life. I couldn't eat it for years, having been force-fed it at primary school aged six, with tinned jam, as it oozed like frogspawn out of the bowl and I wept and retched. For years I had the same malicious feeling toward beets and mashed potatoes, which were instant and came in lumpy granules. My teacher and I had a silent war every lunchtime; a war that eventually came to an end after my parents removed me from the school. Made to your own wont, in your own kitchen, tapioca is ambrosial, and worth being a grown-up for, as is semolina. This could also be a pudding, not a breakfast, just don't serve it with dog food–like tinned jam. Try a lovely homemade compote instead.

Editor's note: Use this gluten-free flour mixture to make Jeanne Sauvages' Spritz Cookies or Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts).

This gluten-free spritz recipe makes about eight dozen. Yes, you read that right—eight dozen. And the cookies are quick to prepare and ideal for giving as gifts or bringing to cookie parties. You can serve the baked cookies plain or decorate them any number of ways. I like to slather melted chocolate between two cookies for an elegant sandwich cookie. It's also fun to drizzle melted chocolate over the tops. You can also sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar or decorate them with royal icing.

Looking for a pasta recipe with impressive flavor and which has practically no prep involved? You've come to the right place.

With a tropical flair really sweetens things up. Chop fruit in advance; assemble day of. Done!

And they're almost too good. Almost. Prep the patties the day before, then cook them quickly just prior to serving.

With a savory salad. Dress kale a day ahead; toss at the table.

Way to warm up the room—especially if it's spiked.

Pancakes say lazy-day lounging with friends. Sour-cherry syrup, which you can make a week ahead, adds a twist on taste.

Is one made with cocktails in hand. Float a cranberry or two on top to snaz them up.

We like to brush this sweet sauce on steaks, grilled or roasted chicken legs, and slices of roasted eggplant. Try it on salmon, too.

These udon noodles with chicken and scallions come together in under 30 minutes.

A malfatto (Italian for "badly made") is a tender dumpling with rustic character. It's a bit of work to trim and cook the chard; you can simplify the recipe by substituting frozen spinach, if desired.

Be sure to start one day ahead; the tapenade-coated roast needs to chill overnight for the seasonings to penetrate the meat. Serve this showstopper with a no-fuss seasonal side, like <epi:recipelink id="51134530">glazed carrots</epi:recipelink>.