Vermouth

I came up with this one because we always have sweet vermouth on hand to make Manhattans, but we use it for nothing else. It’s a big bottle. This sauce is so good that we may actually need to get another bottle one day soon! (Who knew you could make such a sexy meal so simply? Hey, there are some things you should never be too tired for, wink-wink, nudge-nudge!)

This drink is a twist on the dirty martini using black olives instead of green. James Bond mastered the mystique of the martini—it is the ultimate sexy drink. The icy vodka, the dryness of the vermouth, and the salty olives make the ultimate ménage à trois.

Fresh Prince Edward Island mussels are God’s gift to an appetizer menu. This dish has worked in every restaurant that I’ve been involved with and people just love it. If you don’t have saffron, it’s okay—but the curry is a must. I like serving grilled bread with this for sopping up the delicious broth.

I'm pretty much a purist when it comes to martinis. I can't bring myself to imagine what's involved with Martini: The Game, a cards–and–dice game that makes each player a bartender working to whip up cocktail creations. My version of that game would be pretty boring: a bunch of gin cards, the occasional dry vermouth card, and a die that just says "olive" or "twist" on all sides. Not a fun game, but these ingredients do make a superior cocktail in my opinion! So I'm not big on martini variations, but this one minor twist on the classic martini simply adds a bit more herbal and savory character to the aromatics already present in the gin—a little more depth of character without going overboard. This cocktail will be best with a London dry–style gin. Some newer and small–batch gins—much as I love them—can have distinctive character that may or may not meld well with the rosemary. To ensure that the olives take on some of that savory rosemary flavor, they should soak for at least a day before mixing the martinis.

Not to be confused with the annual Gaelic Gourmet events in Boston since the year 2000, Marty Lynch and Kevin O'Grady's Gaelic Gourmet BBQ Team has been burning sticks and wowing barbeque judges since the early 1980s. When Marty gave Ardie [Davis] a taste of CAM Onions at the 2008 Great American Barbecue, Ardie said, "You've gotta give me your recipe for the next KCBS cookbook!" Marty gladly obliged. He adapted this from Rick Browne's Oz Onion Pudding in Rick's Grilling America book (2003). Rick gave us permission to share this version, tweaked by Carolyn Wells, Amy Winn, and Marty Lynch—hence the CAM acronym.

We had lots of apple trees of many varieties in our orchards, and the supply would last for the whole winter. Mostly I had them for a snack or in a dessert, but here's one use in a main course that's a winner. It's incredibly easy yet nutritionally complete. I rather love mixing the sweet carb with the fat and protein in delicious defiance of current diet ideology.

A few years ago I created a menu of regional American dishes (both traditional and invented) for a special Fourth of July wine dinner. I wanted something particularly clever to represent Manhattan. I kept thinking of sophisticated New Yorkers drinking martinis and decided to try my hand at making a sauce with similar ingredients. I like the double dose of juniper with the deep, rich taste of wild salmon, and the olives add a distinctive briny note.

Bourbon:
Bourbon is a type of whiskey that is only made in America from at least 51% corn. In that regard, it differs from Scotch and Irish whiskeys, which are made from malted barley. Rye whiskey is made from—you guessed it—rye. There's a helluva lot more you could learn on the subject of whiskeys, but you're not gonna learn it here. All you need to know is that good bourbon is delicious.

Here we combine some favorite flavors in an eclectic pasta dish. We don't think you'll mind the loose definition of meatball: Free-form versions are terrifically satisfying and don't require any shaping.

This classic cocktail is said to be the predecessor of the Martini. Bartender Eben Freeman developed this version at Tailor restaurant in New York City.

Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor restaurant in New York City, developed this version of a classic cocktail that mixes whiskey, vermouth, brandy, and orange juice. Instead of cherry brandy, Freeman generally uses beer: either Echt Kriekenbier from Brouwerij Verhaeghe or Quelque Chose from Unibrew. And instead of regular orange juice, Freeman creates his own orange foam, which gives it a unique texture. Note: Freeman's ingredients are not commonly found in supermarkets. We have provided an online source, below.

Anna Di Bene, Oltranti's grandmother, never let anything go to waste in her kitchen in Lucca, Italy. Whenever she cooked chicken, she saved the livers for this delicious antipasto. Spicy red-pepper flakes and salty capers cut through the richness of the topping.

The Chrysanthemum can be found calling for varying proportions of ingredients in different recipe books—the brands of absinthe and vermouth chosen will greatly influence the drink's flavor profile.

This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City. Freeman suggests you use anything but a maraschino cherry (as garnish) to avoid adding a cloying sweetness.

Parisian chefs have been seduced by lemongrass. This riff on peppercorn sauce uses vermouth instead of the customary brandy to cut the richness of the steak.

Begin making this one day ahead, and serve with a platter of oysters on the half shell.

This recipe is from University of Georgia fan Thomas Lanford Jr., who says: "Satan's Whiskers is in honor of University of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, who most University of Georgia fans believe is Satan incarnate." Ah, the rivalry!

The addition of the sweet vermouth here punctuates the natural sweetness of the canned tomatoes, making this quick sauce taste as if it's been simmered for hours.

When this classic cocktail was invented, in the late 1800s, it called for rye. Here, bourbon gets to be the star, and the combination of sweet and dry vermouth makes our version "perfect."

Cynar, the artichoke-derived Italian liqueur, is popular in the Swiss border region of Ticino, where Italian is spoken; here, shot through with vermouth and soda, it maintains that bitter-followed-by-sweet sensation you get when eating an artichoke (plus a little fizz). And, like the vegetable itself, it goes well with cheese — which is to say it goes very well with the Appenzeller crisps below.