Name: Traditional Mead
Yield: Makes 5 1/2 pints
Ingredients: 1 gallon bottled (or filtered) water; 5 cups mild honey, such as orange blossom; Juice and peel of 1 lemon; 2 whole cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 packet all-purpose wine or champagne yeast

Believed to be the oldest alcoholic drink known to mankind, mead is made by the simple fermentation of honey with spices and other flavorings. There are a bewildering number of variations and recipes for mead—including spiced mead (metheglin), fruit mead (melomel), and mead with mulberries (morat) or hops (sack)—but this is a basic home recipe. Once you have mastered the technique you can begin to experiment with your own flavors. The mead will reflect the flavor of the honey you use so bear this in mind.

Note:

Only use wine (or champagne) yeast—available from health-food suppliers—not brewer's or baking yeast.

Recipe notes

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.