Chapter One

Drinks & Starters

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

Tangerine Collins

Mother’s Ruin Punch

Blood Orange Screwdrivers

Citrus-Cinnamon Punch

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch

Georgian Brandy Punch

Mulled Red Wine with Muscovado Sugar

Platinum Sparkle

Sugar-and-Spice Nuts

Pumpkin-Pie-Spice-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Nutty Baby Kale Chips

Cheese Sables with Rosemary Salt

Mustard-Miso Pickles

Cranberry-Licorice Compote

Sunflower-Seed Brittle

Shredded Caesar Salad on Toasts

Maple-Soy Snack Mix

Wild Mushroom Crostini

Rosemary Flatbread with Blue Cheese, Grapes and Honey

Mixed Crudités with Green Goddess Dressing

Creamed Kale Toasts

Sesame-Ginger Chicken Meatballs

Blue Cheese and Walnut Dip with Waldorf Crudités

Shrimp Cocktail with Singapore Hot Sauce

7-Minute Salmon Caviar Sushi Bites

Charcuterie Cones

Sweet Butternut Squash Tart

Pork Satay with Sweet Coconut-Milk Glaze

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream

Mini Spinach-Feta Pies

Hogs in a Blanket

Grilled-Beef Summer Rolls

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

Total 35 min plus 4 hr chilling and freezing

Makes 8 drinks

This Halloween-inspired take on the Dark and Stormy, a classic rum and ginger beer drink, features eyeballs—round ice cubes made with lychee syrup and lychees stuffed with brandied cherries—floating in the punch bowl.

One 20-oz. can lychees in heavy syrup, lychees drained, syrup reserved

¼ cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger

16 brandied cherries

¼ cup superfine sugar

½ cup fresh lime juice

1½ cups dark rum

3 chilled 12-oz. bottles ginger beer

Ice

1. In a small saucepan, bring the lychee syrup and ginger to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, stuff 16 lychees with brandied cherries. Set each lychee in the cup of a mini muffin pan or in an ice cube tray. Strain the lychee-ginger syrup and pour it over the lychees. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

3. Meanwhile, in a pitcher, stir the sugar into the lime juice until dissolved. Add the rum and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

4. Unmold the lychee ice cubes into a small punch bowl. Pour in the lime-rum mixture. Add the ginger beer, stir gently and serve in ice-filled glasses. —Grace Parisi

Tangerine Collins

Total 15 min plus 1 hr chilling

Makes 8 drinks

Using tangerine juice in place of lemon juice turns the Tom Collins into a great seasonal cocktail. If tangerines aren’t available, you can substitute tangelos or clementines.

2 cups gin

1 cup fresh tangerine juice

½ cup simple syrup

Ice

1 cup chilled club soda

In a large resealable container, combine the gin, tangerine juice and simple syrup. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Cover tightly and shake, then pour into an ice-filled pitcher. Strain into ice-filled collins or rocks glasses; stir in the club soda. —Duggan McDonnell

NOTE To make simple syrup: In a small saucepan, simmer ½ cup of water with ½ cup of sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes; let cool. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. Makes about ¾ cup.

Mother’s Ruin Punch

Total 20 min

Makes 8 drinks

Classicist bartenders have resurrected the centuries-old ritual of the formal punch service. Here, star mixologist Philip Ward of New York City’s Mayahuel makes a potent concoction named after the old British slang for gin.

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup club soda

1½ cups gin

1½ cups fresh grapefruit juice, plus 3 thinly sliced grapefruit wheels for garnish

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

¾ cup sweet vermouth

Ice

2¼ cups chilled Champagne or sparkling wine

1. In a large pitcher, stir the sugar with the club soda until dissolved. Stir in the gin, grapefruit and lemon juices and sweet vermouth. Fill the pitcher three-quarters full with ice cubes and stir well to chill.

2. Strain the punch into a large bowl over ice. Gently stir in the Champagne and float the grapefruit wheels on top. Serve in punch glasses over ice. —Philip Ward

Blood Orange Screwdrivers

Total 10 min

Makes 8 drinks

I just want to make one drink for parties, says actress and cookbook author Ali Larter. This pretty version of the cocktail classic is dressed up with a splash of Aperol and a jewel-toned orange wheel.

2 cups fresh blood orange juice

1½ cups vodka

¼ cup Aperol

Ice

8 blood orange wheels (optional), for garnish

In a pitcher, stir the blood orange juice with the vodka and Aperol. Pour into 8 ice-filled highball or collins glasses and garnish with the blood orange wheels. —Ali Larter

Citrus-Cinnamon Punch

Total 25 min plus 1 hr chilling

Makes about 2 quarts

Cinnamon flavors lots of holiday drinks, from eggnog to mulled wine. Here it appears in a tart-sweet punch that’s delicious on its own or spiked with Grand Marnier or Cognac.

ORANGE REDUCTION

2¼ cups fresh orange juice

Strips of zest from 2 navel oranges

Three 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

PUNCH

3 cups fresh orange juice

2 cups fresh red grapefruit juice

1 Tbsp. grenadine

2½ cups chilled grapefruit soda

Orange slices and ground cinnamon, for garnish

1. Make the orange reduction In a small saucepan, boil the orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon sticks over moderately high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Strain and let cool.

2. Make the punch In a large glass pitcher, combine the orange reduction with the orange and grapefruit juices and the grenadine. Stir well and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Just before serving, pour in the grapefruit soda. Dust the orange slices with cinnamon and serve in the punch. —Marcia Kiesel

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch

Total 15 min

Makes 10 to 12 drinks

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup pomegranate juice

2 chilled 750-ml bottles sparkling wine

¾ cup chilled late-harvest white wine, such as late-harvest Riesling

2 oranges, thinly sliced crosswise

1 cup diced fresh pineapple (½ inch)

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Ice

In a punch bowl, dissolve the sugar in the pomegranate juice, stirring vigorously. Add the sparkling wine and white wine, then add the orange slices, diced pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Serve the punch over ice. —Shawn McClain

Georgian Brandy Punch

Total 10 min plus 3 hr macerating and chilling

Makes 10 to 12 drinks

Strips of zest from 3 lemons

¾ cup Demerara or other raw sugar

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

One 750-ml bottle VSOP Cognac

4 cups cold water

Ice, preferably 1 large block

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

In a punch bowl, muddle the lemon zest with the sugar. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Muddle again, add the lemon juice and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the Cognac and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Stir in the water, add ice and garnish with the nutmeg. —Dave Wondrich

Mulled Red Wine with Muscovado Sugar

Active 10 min

Total 50 min

Makes 10 drinks

This warm mulled wine spiced with fennel seeds and cinnamon makes excellent use of any leftover bottles of red wine.

2 tsp. black peppercorns, lightly crushed

1 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly crushed

One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Two 750-ml bottles (or the equivalent) fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel or Merlot

3 bay leaves

Strips of zest from 1 orange

1½ cups muscovado sugar or other dark brown sugar

Put the peppercorns, fennel seeds and cinnamon in a large tea ball or wrap them in cheesecloth and secure them with kitchen string. In a large saucepan, combine the aromatics with the wine, bay leaves and orange zest. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the aromatics and orange zest strips. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Serve warm, in glasses or mugs. —Marcia Kiesel

MAKE AHEAD Once cooled, the mulled wine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently.

Platinum Sparkle

Total 10 min

Makes 8 drinks

For parties, star mixologist Kathy Casey premixes this festive drink in large batches. She then quickly shakes each drink with ice, strains it into a glass and tops with Champagne and a cherry.

12 oz. vodka

4 oz. maraschino liqueur

4 oz. Lillet blanc

4 oz. fresh lemon juice

Ice

4 oz. chilled brut Champagne

8 brandied or maraschino cherries, for garnish

In a pitcher, combine the vodka, maraschino liqueur, Lillet and lemon juice and stir well. For each drink, add 3 ounces of the mixture to a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or flute, top with ½ ounce of Champagne and garnish with a cherry. —Kathy Casey

Sugar-and-Spice Nuts

Active 10 min

Total 1 hr

Makes 5 cups

I like to take something that’s generally ordinary and do it really well, says New York City event planner Bronson van Wyck about this sticky cashew- and-almond mix.

¾ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. cayenne

1 large egg white

2 cups raw cashews (9 oz.)

2 cups raw almonds (9 oz.)

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the salt, chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne. In a large bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Add the cashews, almonds and spiced sugar and toss.

3. Spread out the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring once, until browned. Let the nuts cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally, before serving or storing. —Bronson van Wyck

MAKE AHEAD The spiced nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Pumpkin-Pie-Spice-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Total 45 min

Makes 1 cup

Seeds from 1 medium (10-lb.) pumpkin (about 1 cup)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground ginger

⅛ tsp. ground cloves

⅛ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a pot of salted boiling water, boil the pumpkin seeds for 10 minutes. Drain, then pat the pumpkin seeds dry on paper towels.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the oil, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Spread the coated seeds evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the seeds every 10 minutes, until crispy. Let the pumpkin seeds come to