Sherry

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this flavorful roast with its rich mushroom gravy, the mashed potatoes here and sautéed carrots. A fruity Zinfandel would make a good wine choice.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

There's nothing like grilling some meat on the barbecue pit to make a weekend complete. Go ahead and serve this with potato salad. Oh, and remember, when slicing flank steak or London broil, you always want to cut across the grain. I made this for a kicked-up tailgating show on Emeril Live, and it definitely was one of the hits of the party out in the parking lot!

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Gelat de Crema Catalana i Xerès amb Mel i Figues) The mellow, almond flavor of Amontillado Sherry works especially well in this rich, creamy dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fragrant five-spice powder enhances the Asian accent in this marinade. Use it to marinate beef or chicken, and brush with the marinated while grilling. It is also delicious with seafood, but only needs to be brushed on during grilling. The recipe makes enough to marinate one pound of meat, poultry or seafood, with some left over to pass alongside. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.

In classic Chinese cooking, noodles destined for soup are cooked separately and added at the last minute so that the starch from the pasta doesn't cloud the broth. Because we were aiming for a rib-sticking dish, we broke with tradition and cooked the noodles right in the stock, allowing the starch to thicken the soup slightly.

This dish is wonderful served with mashed potatoes.

"Once a week, I go to the farmers' market in Santa Monica and purchase fresh produce, including a variety of wild mushrooms," say Vilma Rozansky of Los Angeles, California. "I developed this risotto recipe around their earthy flavors. The dish can be a satisfying starter or a meatless entré e." Vilma uses mushroom broth, but we substituted vegetable broth because it's more widely available.

Midweek suggestions are thick-cut fries, sautéed mushrooms and peppermint-stick ice cream. For a touch of glamour, begin with Champagne and caviar, offer roasted potatoes and spinach soufflé with the steak, and have chocolate truffles afterward.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A mild-tasting soup that's smooth and rich.