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Classic, elegant, and stiff, the martini is a simple fusion of gin and dry vermouth, stirred together with ice, and strained into a chilled glass. The main variables are the proportion of gin to vermouth, and what you choose to garnish with. This recipe uses a 2-to-1 for the former, though 4-to-1, even 5-to-1, is popular. For some, washing the martini glass with dry vermouth, then dumping the vermouth in the sink before stirring straight gin with ice, is just right.

This basic cream cheese frosting recipe is really easy to remember: Just beat together 2 sticks of butter, 2 packages of cream cheese, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla extract. It has just the right balance of sweetness and tang, so you can spread it on almost any sweet, from pumpkin cupcakes to ginger cake, or sandwich some between oatmeal cookies. Game plan: Refrigerate the frosting in a zip-top bag or an airtight container with a tightfitting lid for up to 4 days.

Technically this is a radler (the German version of lager and lemonade) but the spirit—a beer of low-hop bitterness, combined with something fruity and refreshing—definitely skews shandy. Instead of soda, we call for a second beer, a Belgian lambic flavored with raspberry. What to buy: You’ll need a wheat beer with low hops, such as Erdinger Hefe-Weizen, and a raspberry lambic (we’re fans of Timmermans Framboise Lambicus).

Named for the French Quarter in New Orleans (a.k.a. the Vieux Carré), this sophisticated, spirits-driven cocktail is a lot like the Big Easy itself: a fun and potent blend of diverse elements. What to buy: Bénédictine, a gold-colored liqueur first produced by Benedictine monks in the 16th century, adds a sweet, aromatic flavor to cocktails. Peychaud’s Bitters were created in New Orleans around 1830 by the Haitian apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud.

This easy recipe yields a rich, smoky-tasting chili, perfect for laid-back Sundays. Made with chicken thighs, canned cannellini beans, and a handful of other ingredients, it tastes more complicated than it is. Bonus: You’ll have leftovers for the week.

Who doesn’t love a good G&T? Well, the Spanish certainly do. Condé Nast Traveler reported that Spain is home to the biggest gin drinker population (per capita) in the the world. Although this refreshing take on the classic gin and tonic would be great on a hot summer day, we’d be happy to sip on one (or a few) as a pre- or post-dinner libation all year round. Perhaps make a batch to wash down a feast of our homemade paella recipe.

We got the idea for these impromptu gnocchi from our Home Cooking community discussion board. All you need is half a pound of pizza dough, a pot of boiling salted water, and a sauce (marinara is perfect). Enlist your kids to help with the shaping, then let them watch you poaching the dough and tossing it in the sauce. What to buy: Premade pizza dough is available bagged in 14- or 16-ounce portions at well-stocked groceries.

This recipe is presented by Eggland’s Best. Italy mingles with the Deep South for this two-stepping twist on the traditional breakfast sandwich. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop, and keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. If deli ham is more available than prosciutto, no worries: These protein-packed biscuits will still wow ’em.

Steamed halibut fillets sit atop kale and potatoes in spicy lemon-thyme vinaigrette, in this healthy recipe adapted from Real Simple.