Sherry

We gave the old liver-and-onions routine a contemporary twist with mild scallions and crisp pancetta. Sherry-butter sauce adds finesse and roundness of flavor.

The spirit of Japan comes through in this dish: It is lovely to behold and has a delicate, light quality, yet the extraordinary flavors will seize your attention with the culinary equivalent of surround sound.

An elegant meal for four that requires only 20 minutes active time? That's our kind of dinner. This creamy, comforting dish is just the type of thing you crave on a blustery March night. Because aged vin jaune can be hard to come by in the United States, we substituted a two-year-old Savagnin (with a flavor similar to a dry Sherry) and were very happy with the results.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Making a fresh-tasting Asian-American meal at home is easier than you think. If you don't have Sherry in the house, you can substitute Scotch.

The sweetness of the Sherry used in this creamy pepper sauce (usually made with Cognac) makes it the perfect partner for pork chops.

Don't be fooled by the short ingredients list; these vegetarian black beans have a surprisingly complex flavor. Since I can't use a meaty bone or lard for a boost, I rely on my trusty trinity of Sherry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce, three power ingredients that play well together. The pressure cooker makes cooked-from-scratch beans easily feasible for a spur-of-the-moment supper, though I still prefer to cook up a pot on the weekend; beans thicken as they stand, so by making them ahead and thinning them before serving, I actually get more. This recipe serves as the base for two different meals: I set aside half for flavorful beans and rice and purée the other half into a hearty soup spiked with additional Sherry and lime juice.

Sherry lends a nutty note to a big-flavored and colorful sauce.

The tangy honey-vinegar sauce that tops this crisp-skinned chicken is also great on pork, duck, or even a meaty fish.

This spicy, smoky chicken is tailor-made for a large group of family and friends. And, since it's delicious served warm or at room temperature, your guests can eat it at their leisure.

This is a ridiculously easy soup to make. It's tasty and durable, and it gets even better overnight.

Among the many stories regarding the origins of this dish, the one we deemed "most likely, and most likely to succeed" came to us in 1944. E. Clarke King of Dayton, Ohio, sent us "the original recipe," which he claimed had been invented by George Greenwald, head chef at New York's Brighton Beach Hotel, for his parents (who owned the hotel) in the early 1900s. This time, we've lightened Greenwald's dish with stock and added red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Even with the changes, though, the dish will likely evoke childhood taste memories for those of a certain age.

Peppers from the valley of La Vera, in Extremadura, are used to produce a deliciously smoky paprika. There are three kinds of pimentón: sweet, bittersweet (called agridulce), and hot. We prefer agridulce in this recipe.

With its slight bitterness, broccoli rabe takes well to assertive flavors. The classic Italian recipe calls for sautéing it with plenty of garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. But for Thanksgiving we've opted for something mellower, choosing sweet raisins, pine nuts, and a bit of sherry.

Most chestnut soups are fairly substantial. We've made our version lighter and brothier to serve as a first course for a big meal. Chopped chestnuts mixed with tangy croutons add texture and extra layers of complexity.

Gambas al Ajillo Mamá Pepa I received an e-mail from María Jesús Davis, who resides in Washington, D.C., but is inordinately proud to be a native of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucía. Writing in charming Andalusian colloquial Spanish, she says, "I am Jerezana to the bone, and I hope you like my mother's recipe, which is very simple to understand — because I get bored when cooking gets complicated." Gambas al ajillo, a staple in most tapas bars, takes on a new twist and a haunting flavor with the addition of medium-dry amontillado sherry, which also comes from María Jesús's hometown. She advises, "Be sure to provide plenty of bread to sop of the sauce. It's to die for!"

If you're making this for the sherry syrup , don't be tempted to use a dark dry Sherry for the syrup or topping — it will muddy the beautiful green-gold color of the cake and tint the cream topping brown.

Flips were originally hot drinks made with egg and a variety of liquors and wines. They were warmed up by means of a loggerhead, an iron tool with a long handle and bulbous end that could be heated and plunged, like a poker, into the drink. Today, however, flips are generally served cold. Historically, they have been most often served in the morning or at bedtime, because of their soothing character.

Dry sherry meets luscious sweet vermouth in this simple cocktail recipe.