Alcohol

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This quick Southwestern cheese dip benefits from a bit of brew in the mix — as it would from a cold Mexican beer enjoyed alongside.

There's no easier dessert than fresh fruit. But for something a little more spirited, we topped it with some store-bought lemon curd lightened with yogurt and flavored with crème de cassis. This simple dessert is a snap to prepare.

Popsicle molds are sold at some drugstores and department stores.

Not so many years ago dried "exotic" or wild mushrooms could be found only in fancy specialty shops, but no longer. Many good urban and suburban supermarkets now carry little packages of various varieties. And Asian markets are a great source for dried shiitake, also known as Chinese black mushrooms. The dried mushrooms are an optional addition to this soup, but they do add a deeper, woodsier flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This easy zuppa di pesce is a staple of the anchovy packers of Mazara del Vallo on the northwestern coast of Sicily. It always comes with bread to soak up the juices.

Beer acts as a tenderizer in this pot roast and adds a savory note to a sauce that complements the sweetness of the root vegetables.

Pumpkin pies have long been favored in New England; there is a recipe for a "pompkin" pie in Amelia Simmons's 1796 American Cookery. New England colonists, in spite of their puritanical reputation, were known to enjoy a tot of rum now and then. And if the liquor was hidden in a pie, even the ladies were able to indulge.

This recipe was created to accompany Chocolate Strawberry Orance Wedding Cake .

Ginger, curry powder and Chinese five-spice powder turn up in this northwestern version of a classic holiday relish.

This is quick, easy and delicious - the perfect addition to a holiday buffet.

Festive and pretty, this do-ahead dessert is a boon for busy hosts.