TASTElist

Dale DeGroff taught us this simple syrup technique, which skips the typical heating and cooling process. Next up: Learn how to make cold-brew coffee with Chowhound’s easy recipe. Game plan: For Demerara simple syrup, just substitute Demerara sugar for white.

Fresh, buttery ricotta is delicious spread on a sliced and toasted baguette, sprinkled with salt and olive oil. For added complexity, top the cheese with earthy, nutty, bitter greens like nettles. For the meat lovers, try topping it with our easy pancetta. What to buy: Store-bought ricotta is fine to use here, or you can make your own.

I first tried a version of this cocktail at Audrey Saunders’s Pegu Club in Manhattan. A sip later, I was hooked. If you are a Manhattan Cocktail drinker and want to change things up a bit, try this recipe. Angostura, traditionally used in a Manhattan, is replaced with cynar. What to buy: Cynar is an Italian bitter apéritif made from about 13 herbs and plants, the most predominant of which is artichoke. It can be purchased at most liquor stores or online.

This recipe is the real deal, tracing back to Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron Jr. in the 1930s. It comes to us via Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. (Who based it on the recipe found in Jeff Berry’s book Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari.) What to buy: Orgeat is an almond-sugar syrup traditionally made from whole blanched almonds.

Although the combinations of spices and herbs used in aquavit are endless, some of the most recognized flavors include caraway, anise, fennel, and cardamom. This infused spirit from Scandinavia is best enjoyed straight from the freezer as a shot—accompanied by a toast.

A Polynesian favorite, ahi tuna poke makes a great starter, especially when served with crispy Furikake Wonton Crisps. To keep the poke cold, chill the serving dish ahead of time and nestle it in a larger bowl filled with ice to serve. What to buy: Togarashi powder, a Japanese mixture of spices that always contains chiles, can be found in ethnic markets. (It may also be labeled shichimi togarashi.) Or you can make your own.

Authentic grenadine syrup is made from pomegranate juice sweetened with sugar and flavored with a few drops of lemon juice and orange-flower water (as opposed to corn syrup and red dye). Once you taste the real deal in, say, a Mary Pickford, you’ll never go back to the Shirley Temple cocktail mixer of your youth.

A classic summer cooler, a lime rickey can be mixed up with gin or bourbon or, for a virgin rickey (like this one), with fruit syrup. Either rendition is equally bubbly, limey, and thirst-quenching.

The Adonis is a simple, low-alcohol, sherry-based cocktail. In its original form, the Adonis is a wine cocktail that dates back to the late 1800s. The name is derived from an 1884 play about a gorgeous male statue that comes to life and finds human ways so unpleasant that he willingly turns back into stone. Adonis was the first Broadway play to run for more than 500 performances, but despite its lineage, the Adonis cocktail is rarely seen anymore and has entered the endangered species list.

A roasted nut oil can give your vinaigrette a mild, earthy flavor—a nice change from bland vegetable oil or sometimes-overpowering olive oil. What to buy: We like the La Tourangelle brand of roasted nut oils like this walnut oil. Avoid brands that use refined nut oils—they don’t taste like the nuts they came from. Store nut oils in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent rancidity. Game plan: If you’re making the dressing ahead of time, add the minced chives just before serving.

This elegantly composed salad combines classic flavors and textures: Chewy dates, crunchy almonds, and creamy blue cheese nestle with peppery arugula and watercress. A sweet-tart honey-Dijon dressing pulls it all together. For a heartier meal, serve with grilled ribeye.

Infusing lots of mint and freshly grated ginger into a simple syrup takes the muddling out of these Mojitos. Since the base of the cocktail is made in advance, all you have to do is add ice and club soda—perfect for parties or your next tailgate. T