Alcohol

Sandwiching the puff pastry between two baking sheets ensures that the pastry rises perfectly even.

When in doubt, add soda. The resulting highball (about 2 ounces of any booze filled to the top with soda) is refreshing—and impossible to mess up.

Of this take on a martini, James Bond quipped, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made." What he said.

This smoky blush cocktail features Cappelletti, a Campari-like aperitif that shares its ruby red color but is slightly less sweet and not quite as bitter.

Bourbon Balls function as the ultimate easy dessert for Southern cocktail parties, and they put a sweet, slightly boozy finish on any get-together. Think of them as an edible digestif. Crushed vanilla wafers hold all the chocolatey goodness together. Buy an 11-ounce box and remove two dozen wafers to save for another use, like Banana Pudding.

This Bloody Mary ditches traditional bottled tomato juice for the freshly pressed stuff made from Sun Gold or yellow tomatoes.

If king trumpet mushrooms aren't available, use shiitake caps, which will also take well to the sweet-salty glaze.

Pro tip: Viva brand paper towels are used at Rintaro specifically for insulating the cod from its salty cure and will absorb moisture without falling apart.

This Sunday sauce yields twice what you'll need, but it freezes beautifully; bank the extra and cash it in on another night.

The goose is blanched briefly and then chilled for two days before roasting to ensure a crisp skin. Offer buttered peas and carrots with the goose, and pour a Pinot Noir. A pear tart would end the evening in style.

This version of the classic martini variation relies on gin, blanc vermouth, dry vermouth, and onion pickling liquid. The trickiest part of the recipe is preparing the pickled onions that are added as a garnish, but the effort is well worth it. 

Who says blender cocktails can't contain farmers' market produce? Here's a drink that highlights our favorite late-summer fruit.