Alcohol

Healthy bonus: Fiber from tomatoes; calcium from basil and fennel

Our food editors were truly impressed with the flavorful pork they found in London restaurants — chefs there are making the most of heirloom breeds and natural feed, with delicious results.

Two elements make this dish special. Usually the smaller shanks are braised, but a whole leg works just as well and looks more impressive. Also, white wine is used for the braising instead of red. What to drink: A full-bodied Zinfandel.

The bubbles in the stout act as a leavening agent, so only a small amount of baking soda is needed for the rich, moist cake to rise.

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.

Goes great with: Salad of butter lettuce, radicchio, roasted pears, and toasted walnuts. What to drink: Red Burgundy or Pinot Gris.

Boneless chicken thighs give a moist result, but chicken breasts work well, too. Mix wild mushrooms with cultivated button mushrooms for a deeper flavor. Goes great with: Mashed potatoes flecked with chopped fresh parsley or tarragon. What to drink: Chardonnay or Merlot.

Goes great with: Stir-fried snow peas, green beans, sliced zucchini, and fresh basil. What to drink: New Zealand or Oregon Pinot Noir.

A far is a custardy pudding cake, similar to a clafouti but with a dense, smooth, flan-like texture. This one, studded with brandy-soaked prunes and raisins, is the signature pastry of Brittany, served for breakfast as well as dessert.

The most floral and flirty cocktail we've had this year.

A classic served at Musso & Frank. Think of it as a Bloody Mary minus tomato juice.

This little-known classic cocktail is a leaner, crisper spin on the Negroni.

The delicate, tendriled texture of frisée is essential to the slaw. Round out the lettuce mix with a selection of chicories. What to drink: Barbera d'Alba from the Piedmont region of Italy pairs well with this first course.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert's book the Le Bernardin Cookbook. To read more about Ripert, click here. Eric: My friend Albert Core gave me the idea to combine port and sherry vinegar, and after some experimenting, I found a way to do it. The result was this snapper, my first signature dish at Le Bernardin. Everyone loved it immediately, except for Maguy, who didn't even want to put it on the menu. Now, of course, she loves it, too. Maguy: I didn't want this dish going on the menu, and Gilbert said he didn't care, he loved it. It was the first time we disagreed. So I invited some friends for dinner and asked them what they thought. They all said it was great. I was furious! Now I love it, so much so that the kitchen knows to send extra sauce on the side.