1. Jamie Oliver’s Sexy Salad. Lady Gaga’s meat dress has got nothing on JO’s meat salad. We love the focus on enticing, mouthwatering ingredients that pair perfectly with cocktail hour.

Sexy Salad a la Jamie Oliver

We love the ROI in time — this is probably the lowest maintenance recipe with the highest visual appeal you’re going to get.

• 1 fig per person to start, criss-crossed not quite to their bottom
• 1 slice of Parma ham or prosciutto per fig
• Buffalo mozzarella, sliced
• Green or purple basil, torn
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon good-quality honey
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Squeeze the base of the fig so the center is exposed, which allows the dressing to soak into the insides.
2. Weave around 1 slice of Parma ham or prosciutto per fig.
3. Throw in some slices of buffalo mozzarella.
4. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, honey, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl and drizzle everything with this dressing.

This salad is too hot to eat alone. We like ours with crusty sourdough and a Manhattan. Photo: David Loftus, www.jamieoliver.com

2. Buttermilk Farro Salad. Heidi Swanson knows that pasta disguised as salad is really the best compromise. Her version is hearty enough for cold-weather cocktailing but flexible enough to sub in healthier grains, like wheatberry, barley or quinoa. Might we suggest pairing this with a vieux carré made using our favorite grain: rye.

Buttermilk Farro Salad

Heidi Swanson fashioned this recipe after some inspiration from Clyde Common. We admit, we’ve been inspired many times at the bar seats at CC. Cheers to Portland and 101 Cookbooks for sharing.

• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup good-quality white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 1/2 cup chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 7 small radishes, sliced paper thin
• 3 small zucchini, sliced paper thin
• 1 medium head fennel, trimmed and sliced paper thin
• 4 cups cooked farro, cooled to room temp
• chopped chives for garnish

1. Combine the garlic and salt on a cutting board. Mash into a paste using the flat side of your knife.
2. Place in a medium bowl or jar, then add the buttermilk and vinegar. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes or so.
3. Whisk in the olive oil, then the herbs.
4. Toss the radishes, zucchini and fennel into a large bowl with the farro grains.
5. Add 1 cup of the dressing and toss again. Let sit for 10 minutes, taste, and adjust with more dressing, if needed, and salt to taste. Serve sprinkled with chives. Serves 8.

Perfect for nights when there's a winter storm warning and an extra bottle of scotch just lying around. Photo: www.101cookbooks.com

3. Thai Cucumber and Shrimp Salad. Chez Pim gets the cocktailing brief. Salad bites should be heavy enough to balance the drinks (read: soak up the booze), light enough to keep you in your party pants and flavorful enough to be memorable.

Thai Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

Pim’s solution to your dilemma — how can I sex up a salad for Happy Hour.

• 2 large cucumbers (about 2 cups)
• 2/3 pounds shrimp, preferably shells on (optional, but remember to add more cucumber if you’re not using any protein at all)
• 1/4 cup Vietnamese Perilla, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leafs
• 1 cup shallots, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes (desiccated coconut)

1. Add 1/2 cup of water and the shrimp to pot. Place the pot with the lid on over high heat, bring it to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a full boil, turn the heat off and let the steam finishes the cooking for a couple more minutes. Drain the water and let the shrimp rest until they are cool enough, then peel and de-vein them and set aside.
2. Peel, seed, and cut the cucumbers into thin slices.
3. Place a dry wok over low heat, add the coconut flakes and stir constantly until they are evenly brown. Set aside. Wipe the wok clean, add 1 1/2 cups of frying oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallot slices and fry, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp. Be careful not to over cook them. Fish out the fried shallots from the pan onto a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar (white sugar will do just fine, but start with only 1/2 tablespoon)
• 5 to 10 Thai bird-eye chili, chopped

1. Nuke the palm sugar (in a bowl in the microwave) for 20 to 30 seconds just to melt it and make it easier to blend with the other ingredients. Then add the fish sauce, stir to blend.
2. Add lime juice, then rice vinegar. Taste it to see if you need more acidity, if so, add more rice vinegar to taste. Add the chopped chili.
3. Add the shrimp and cucumber slices to a salad bowl. Reserve a bit of the fried shallots, coconut, and the herbs for garnish. Dump the rest into the salad bowl.
4. Pour in about 2/3 of the dressing, toss well. Taste it to see if you’d like a bit more dressing, then add more as needed. Sprinkle the reserved shallots, coconut, and herbs and serve.

The perfect beginning to a gin martini dinner. Photo: www.chezpim.com

4. Duck Noodle Salad. Fig and Cherry puts a Chinese take on cocktail bites with pre-roasted ducks and rice vermicelli. It’s far more interesting than just about anything with greens (absinthe, notwithstanding).

Duck Noodle Salad

Christie subs in turkey, pork or shrimp when she’s not in the mood to chef-handle a pre-roasted duck. Cheers to making life easy.

• 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, plum sauce, sesame oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons hot chili sauce, to taste
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 100 grams rice vermicelli
• Half Chinese roast duck, meat removed from bones and shredded
• Handful each mint, coriander (cilantro), snow peas (mangetout), finely sliced
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced on the diagonal
• 2 large handfuls bean sprouts
• Fried shallots, to garnish

1. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Soak the rice vermicelli in boiled water for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining salad ingredients. Pour over the dressing and mix gently to combine.
4. Divide between plates and serve garnished with the fried shallots.

Something this spicy needs a nice coolant. We're thinking Yuri Kato's Yuzu Julep. Photo: www.figandcherry.com

5. Salmon Salad with Parsley and Capers. This is an easy go-to from Martha Stewart so you know it does the job. We love the Greek flavor and extra time it gives us to properly hand-craft a drink.

Salmon Salad with Parsley and Capers

An easy go-to salad with Mediterranean appeal courtesy of Martha Stewart. We’re loving it with Joseph Cassidy’s Up Your Kilt … for Ladies.

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped capers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 6-ounce fillets simple poached salmon
• 1/2 cup parsley

1. Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Add salmon and parsley.

Sure, you save your scotch for steak, but we like it mixed into a sexy new cocktail and served with this flavorful salmon salad. Photo: www.marthastewart.com

1. Chickpea Popcorn — Crunchy, spicy finger food pairs well with both sweet and savory cocktails.

Baked Chickpeas

• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 2 teaspoons ground garam masala
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• S&P
• 1 serrano pepper, chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• Olive oil

1. Mix ingredients in an oven-proof dish. Add only enough oil to very lightly coat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until dry and crispy. Serve warm.

2. Aloo Tikki — Think of these cakes as a South Asian twist on potato latkes. Serve with a sidecar of tomato or herb chutney for dipping. The Edible Garden’s recipe is simple, spicy and not too bad to look at in a party spread.

Quick Potato Patties/Aloo Tikki Recipe

• 2 medium potatoes, grated
• One bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 green chilis, chopped
• 1 generous pinch asafoetida
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
• Salt, to taste

1. Grate the potatoes and add the other ingredients in, mix well. Shape into flat patties and shallow fry in a wide pan until golden brown on both sides.

Spicy potato bites pair well with cooling cocktails.

Photo: Edible Garden/cookingandme.com

3. Amritsari Fish – Sanjeev Kapoor’s fish recipe is a common street food that mixes things up during Happy Hour.

Amritsari Fish

• 1 1/3 pounds mackerel
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain seeds)
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• Oil, for frying
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

1. Place fish fingers in a bowl. Add red chili powder, salt, carom seeds, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and chickpea flour, mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat sufficient oil in a frying pot.
3. Break an egg into the fish mixture and mix. Put the fingers, a few at a time, into the hot oil and deep fry till almost done. Drain and place on an absorbent paper.
4. Deep fry again just before serving till golden and crisp. Drain and place on an absorbent paper.
5. Serve hot, sprinkled with chaat masala and lemon wedges.

Skewer the fish pieces after cooking so they are easy to grab from an appetizer platter.

Photo: sanjeevkapoor.com

Our roundup:

Fried cauliflower. We love the saffron-yogurt dipping sauce in Bon Appetit‘s recipe. Our only tweak is not deep-frying the cauliflower, but sautéing or roasting it instead. (Fry Daddy, we loved you in 1980, but not so much anymore.) A more Middle Eastern version worth trying is Yotam Ottolenghi’s served with tahini — his recipe calls for mixing the cauliflower in the sauce, but you can serve it on the side for less mess.

Raw vegetables at Happy Hour? Not on your watch. Roast them and sidecar with a Greek dipping sauce. Photo: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

Green hummus. It’s not a Mediterranean party until someone breaks out the green goo. This time, it’s Heidi from 101 Cookbooks. We love her twist on the traditional chickpea recipe, served with toasted pita bread or her olive oil crackers, which are pretty much are single biggest reason for sticking with carbs.

Heidi's olive oil crackers are best made in bulk and are hearty enough to man-handle your sturdiest of dips. Photo: Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks

This green-hued version is completely unexpected. Photo: Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks

Pan-fried sardines. This recipe, Pan-fried Sardines with Micro Ratatouille, is actually an entrée, but makes a great small plate or tapa. You can lose the ratatouille or serve it on the side as a dip of sorts. Or Chef Michael Psilakis makes a killer fritto misto, taking the concept of small fried sardines (“fries with eyes”) to a whole new level.

In lieu of the ratatouille, serve with fresh lemon or dust with smoked paprika. Photo: Guy Raz/NPR

Michael Psilakis' sardine and calamari fritto misto. Photo: The Atlantic, Courtesy of Little, Brown

Pickled octopus. Seems like the new motto is, “if it ain’t moving, pickle it.” So it makes perfect sense that seafood was next in line to get hit with vinegar and spices. It’s more interesting than a basic shrimp or crab cocktail and it’s relatively simple to prepare. There are actually two common methods for preparing, one involves pre-marination and serving warm, while another involves more of a traditional pickling method, served cold.

Tenderize the octopus pre-prep with your favorite beating tool. You don't want guests gnawing on overly chewy apps at your cocktail party.

Photo: Rolf Hicker Photography

Pepper salad. There aren’t many things to disagree with Smitten Kitchen about. Deb’s Zabar’s-inspired salad definitely isn’t one of them. We love making this version, but keeping the peppers, onions, cukes and feta chunks on the large size (think crudité) so they’re easier to nab one-handed with a toothpick. At the end of the day, no one wants to put down a drink to eat a vegetable.

A cooler way to serve vegetables and cheese. Photo: Smitten Kitchen

Fried chickpeas. Chow’s Chickpeas with Sage recipe is easy to doctor up with your favorite spices. Unfortunately, the crispy texture does require plunging them in hot oil, but you can get flavor sans the fat (and crunch) by roasting or sautéing instead.

In the unlikely event you have leftovers, serve them the next day on a salad, pizza or pasta. Photo: Chow.com

Side car these dishes with Greek wine for a truly Greek experience. Sigalas Assyrtiko/Athiri is our pick for a bright, citrus-forward sip. And if you’re looking for a two-second bite to keep cocktailers from stalking the kitchen, sauté kalamata olives and/or capers with a touch of sea salt and hit of smoked paprika. Fast and easy.

Indian spices aren’t the only way to twist a traditional Italian bruschetta. Try Spanish, Moroccan or even Mexican seasonings.

Indian-Spiced Eggplant Bruschetta

For the Eggplant:

• Coconut or olive oil
• Onion, chopped
• Jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon each turmeric, chile powder, ground coriander, ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (microplaned or minced)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• One medium-large eggplant, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes.

1. Sauté onion, jalapeno and spices over medium high heat until soft and golden brown.
2. Add ginger and cook for another minute or two, then add eggplant and tomatoes. Stir, cover and lower heat. Cook covered for about 20 minutes until soft and fragrant. Smash cooked stew with the back of a spoon to even out consistency, if you like.

For the Bread:

• French baguette, sliced on the bias
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves, peeled
• S&P

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with S&P.
2. Toast bread slices until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and while bread is still warm, carefully rub the top of each piece with fresh garlic.

To Assemble:

• Cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish

1. Spoon warm Indian-spiced eggplant onto the toasted garlic bread. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a rich, meaningful scotch cocktail.

This baby is begging to be topped with a fried anchovy. Seriously.

1. Start with 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks removed.

2. Mix yolks with gourmet or regional flavors depending on your palate. If you like:
— salty or briny flavors, mix 1 tablespoon minced capers, 1 clove minced fresh garlic, small spoons of mayo and Dijon mustard and S&P to taste.
— Indian seasonings, try 1 tablespoon each, minced garlic and ginger, sautéed with dash of turmeric, chile powder, ground cumin and ground coriander.
— Mediterranean cuisine, combine 2 tablespoons finely diced cucumber, 1/8 cup chopped Kalamata olives, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon finely minced Italian flat-leaf parsley, S&P.

3. Spoon mixture into the egg white halves.

4. Garnish your creation with:
American sturgeon caviar or salmon roe
Shaved truffles
Tiny edible flowers
Crumbled crispy bacon and chopped chives

Bonus appetizer, for those who don’t like deviled egg texture:
Chop your hardboiled eggs, mix with finely chopped cornichons, green olives, parsley and S&P. Serve a spoonful of the egg salad on top of a homemade potato chip.

To inspire your experimentation, start with a basic recipe and simply get creative with the garnish. Here’s our favorite:

Basic Deviled Eggs

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

• 6 hardboiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 green onion, whites only, very thinly sliced
• Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• S&P
• Sprinkle of paprika, for garnish

1. Slice hardboiled eggs in half lengthwise. Place yolks into a small bowl and mash with mayo and dijon. Add other ingredients and stir.
2. Fill a pastry or plastic bag with the egg yolk mixture, then fill the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika.

Another way to mix up your app spread is to sub out your run-of-the-mill, organic, free-range chicken eggs with bite-size duck or quail eggs. And, though we usually encourage trying anything and everything, we’d have to say to steer clear of ostrich or emu eggs for deviled eggs, though they’d be an amazing base to a frittata for 20.

Our plan: Keep the fatty turkey and gravy by night, but stick to our Kimchi Couscous Salad recipe by day. It beats a trip to the cold bar at Whole Foods (and a post-season bootcamp)!

Turn this into a twist on “fried rice” by adding more chopped vegetables.

Kimchi Couscous Salad

We love the combination of the Middle East and Far East on one plate.

• 1 cup couscous
• ½ cup diced kimchi
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• S&P, to taste
• Garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions, plus black sesame seeds.

1. Boil couscous in water until cooked.
2. Mix olive oil with diced kimchi in pan over medium heat and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Place cooked couscous into pan and add a pinch of salt and pepper to season and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Garnish and serve this dish warm or cold.

Extra spicy kimchi will add depth and zing to the end result.

If you're feeling creative but a touch lazy, just top a bowl of dark chocolate ice cream with a sprinkling of these bad boys.

Jalapeño Ice Cream Sandwich

This is nothing like what the ice cream man delivered.

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 jalapeño peppers (split in half)
• 1 vanilla bean (split in half)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Dried cranberries
• Sweet cornbread loaf

1. Pour heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt into a medium saucepan.
2. Add molasses, jalapeños and vanilla bean.
3. Place over medium heat and cook until bubbles start to form.
4. Remove from heat, cover, let cool to room temperature.
5. Strain out solids.
6. Add ½ cup of saucepan mixture in another bowl and whisk in cornstarch.
7. Add this mixture to original saucepan and put back on stove on medium heat.
8. Continue to heat and taste: when mixture has thickened to coat spoon, and cornstarch is undetectable by taste, take off of heat.
9. Pour into a bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. *Note: Wrap should touch the top of the mixture to prevent a skim from forming.
10. Let cool in fridge until completely cool (generally, 3 to 4 hours).
11. Freeze in ice cream maker until consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Put in freezer overnight.
12. Cut loaf of cornbread into sandwich-size slices.
13. Place a scoop of ice cream on one slice and top with cranberries, then place another slice of cornbread on top. Note: if you can, grill the cornbread for a minute on each side for grill-marks.

Off-road nori wraps with gourmet, in-season vegetables and whatever you can nab from your Asian market.

The idea here is a build-your-own-appetizer bar. You supply the tray of ingredients and if you’re feeling generous, a hot oven and stocked sideboard. A fair exchange we-thinks…you keep them buzzed, while they create the bar bites. Genius.

Here’s what’s on our list (feel free to school us in some additions!):

These cats are on the bottom:

• baguettes. You don’t even have to toast them. Just turn the oven on in case someone else wants to heat up their bites.
• crackers. Have both thick and thin varieties on hand.
• pita. Also easy and a great platform for stacking.
• lettuce leaves. Sure, iceberg has zero nutritional value, but it’s hearty enough to wrap around vegetables and top with sauce.
• nori. Small crispy squares can be piled high, or make quick sushi roll ups by softening seaweed with a touch of water.

And these are on top:

• avocado. Peel, slice, squirt with lemon juice. Voila!
• cheese. Put out a loaded cheese board and let them create!
• chicken. Grilled chicken works on a cracker, in a lettuce wrap or mounded on a crisp baguette. Let them play.
• fresh herbs. Parsley, cilantro, basil … whatever you can also use in your sideboard.
• hummus, tahini … Basically any topping with a smooth, creamy texture that adds a little flavor.
• mustards. Hot, zesty, savory, spicy, boozed-up … a drop on just about anything ups the flavor factor.
• pickles. Yeah, we’re obsessed. What’s your point? Trust us, people dig them. A lot.
• pickled onions. True, we just mentioned pickles, but those sweet-spicy red onions deserve special mention. Douse them in champagne vinegar and a little sugar pre-party and they’ll be topping-ready when the workers, er, guests arrive.
• kim chi. Ever had this stuffed wedged into a lettuce leaf with some grilled chicken? Withhold judgment until you have. It’s awesome.
• salami. Give the carnivores some meat and they’re happy and productive. Hit up your local butcher for a spread.
• sauces. People love to dip stuff in stuff. That’s the easiest way to say it. Think cocktail sauce, peanut sauce, maybe a little vinegar … sex it up!
• shellfish. A bowl of sautéed or grilled medium shrimp. Done.
• spices. Take all of your mini soy sauce dishes and fill them with red pepper, black pepper, sea salt, smoked paprika, dried oregano.
• vegetable shavings. Carrots, scallions, horseradish (does that qualify as a vegetable?), asparagus, beets. They’re great for presentation and texture.

If you’re feeling fancy, add a tray of place cards and a Sharpie so guests can name their concoction, assuming they don’t eat everything they create on the spot.

Char your favorite vegetable — today, ours is the jalapeño — in olive, sesame or chili oil for a fast bar bite.

• Charred jalapeños — Last month, we were obsessed with the idea of sautéed capers and sea salt as the fast app du jour. But September is all about the hot pepper. Nab a roundup of your favorite peppers, sauté quickly with a little olive oil until they’re charred. You can add an optional sea salt sprinkle. Awesome with super-chilled cocktails.

• Crab “dip” — Mayo makes us queasy. No, seriously queasy. A faster, healthier version of the classic spread: Mix crab meat (available at your seafood counter already prepped or use canned as a Plan B), olive oil, fresh lemon juice and your favorite dried spices. We like red pepper flakes, parsley, thyme, etc. If you’ve got some diced olives or capers, toss them in, too.

• Nut mix — You’re right, finding nuts at a bar isn’t so shocking, but instead of the usual, troll the aisle of your grocery for some funky options, or make your own. Tamarind almonds, curried cashews or cayenne pistachios, for instance. Then add a dried fruit like blueberries, mango or cherries. If you can spare another 60 seconds, sauté them quickly so they’re warm when serving.

• Olive mix — Funk up a jar of kalamata olives with some dried or fresh herbs. Think oregano, basil, garlic, rosemary. If you’ve got time to spare, blend them for a fast tapenade.

• Smoked edamame — Rather than top your edamame with the usual sea salt, twist it with Malden smoked salt.

• Salmon toasts — The only legwork you’ve got is assembly. You buy: crème fraîche, capers, horseradish, dill for toppings (mix together or stack according to taste), plus smoked salmon and crackers. Layer cracker, smoked salmon, accoutrement.

• Tuna tartare — Dice up a slab of sashimi-grade tuna (salmon is an easy substitute) and sprinkle with Japanese 7 spice or wasabi powder.

• Miso-Peanut dip — Use a hand-blender to combine: 2 spoonfuls miso, 2 spoonfuls peanut butter, the juice of 2 limes and a handful of cilantro (sans the stems). Add S&P to taste the dip, sliced carrots, cucumbers or celery. Make the dip into a salad dressing by adding olive oil until it’s at a desired consistency, then toss on mixed greens.

You can pimp out your purée by blending in toasted sesame seeds or pine nuts. (But why waste those last summer hours being a blender jockey?)

A traditional Korean recipe created for hot seasons, this soup isn’t just chilled — ice cubes are dunked into the broth just before serving to bring temps down to an arctic level. Everything about this dish screams summer fun without the sweat.

Our advice: Gather your friends and have a cold noodle party to commemorate the end of scorching temps (BBQ parties are so beginning of summer). It’s not everyday you garnish your pasta with ice cubes and frosty cucumbers.

Kong Gook Soo

We suggest a cup of hot summer jam while you blend (and shimmy).

• 1 cup white soybeans (can be purchased at any local Asian market and are sometimes referred to as meju beans)
• 2 cups wheat noodles
• Julienned cucumbers
• Black sesame seeds
• Sea salt
• Ice cubes

1. Leave soybeans in water overnight (approximately 8 hours).
2. Drain and place beans in a pot with water and bring to boil. When finished, drain and rinse in cold water.
3. Purée beans with 2 ½ cups of water until liquefied (you can add water to dilute to your preferred consistency). Place in refrigerator to chill.
4. Boil noodles 5 to 6 minutes, or as instructed by directions on packaging. Drain and rinse noodles in cold water.
5. Place noodles in a bowl and pour the soybean soup on top.
6. Garnish with julienned cucumber and black sesame seeds.
7. Place as many ice cubes as you’d like (2 to 3 is what we do).
8. Mix in sea salt to taste.

Bada-boom, bada-bing. Arroz con Pollo, a one-pot wonder. Jazz it up with a seasonal salad sidecar.

Paprika-Spiced Arroz con Pollo

Serves 4

• Olive oil
• 2 pounds bone-in organic chicken things
• S&P
• Paprika
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 jalapeño, chopped (seeds removed for less kick)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• S&P
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Handful fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/3 cup green olives, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

1. Sprinkle chicken with S&P and paprika then brown the chicken in a hot skillet. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add a splash of oil to the pan and then add onion and jalapeño. Cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for another minute or so then add rice and cook until rice is translucent.
3. Pour in stock and then add tomatoes, S&P, chili powder and cilantro. Stir then place browned chicken back in pan.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.
5. Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add olives and peas, continue cooking until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through.

We love individual cast iron skillets used as plates. Just be careful when serving.

Braised Short Ribs Breakfast

Serves 2

• 1 large Russet potato, washed and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• S&P
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs, chef’s choice
• Handful fresh spinach
• 4 braised short ribs (fully cooked, or leftover)
• 2 eggs
• Chives, chopped, for garnish
• Sourdough crostini, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss potatoes with garlic, olive oil, S&P and herbs in a small bowl, then sauté stove-top in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat until browned.
3. Add spinach to skillet and continue to cook until spinach begins to wither.
4. Place short ribs on top of the spinach and cover with foil then pop in oven, for 5 minutes or until evenly heated through.
5. Crack 2 eggs on top of the ribs and bake, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the eggs are set but not hard.
6. Sprinkle with chives and serve with crostini.

Be post-post modern: Serve kimchi in stemless wineglasses. It makes chopstick-fishing easier.

Unauthorized Kim Chi

For classic kimchi, use Napa cabbage. Or go rogue like us and use red cabbage for the crunch, English cucumbers, daikons and radishes.

• 1 pound of your favorite vegetables
• 3 tablespoons of sea salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon raw garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey, optional

1. Chop vegetables into bite-size pieces (we like small discs for the radishes and cucumbers).
2. Add 6 cups of warm water and 2 tablespoons sea salt to a small bowl. Mix.
3. Add vegetables to the brine mixture, and allow this to sit overnight at room temperature.
4. Drain brine, leaving vegetables in bowl, into another container.
5. Add minced garlic, onions, chili flakes, vinegar, the extra tablespoon of salt and honey.
6. Toss together until thoroughly mixed.
7. Pour into jars and fill extra jar space with leftover brine.
8. Store in refrigerator for 2 to 4 days to allow for fermentation. [Note: this is the minimum allotment of time -- you can soak in brine up to weeks for less crunchy vegetables and more intense flavor.]

Go double rogue: One of our favorite Chinese hole in walls serves kimchi when you arrive to the table (the Asian version of a bread basket?) for noshing solo pre-meal or garnishing your dishes as you eat.

Be authentic: Hit up a Korean grocery and ask for 'ko choo kah rhoo' which literally means "ground hot peppers" to season your concoction.

If maple syrup makes you hot under the collar, use a baking brush to wipe a quick maple glaze on top of the cookies when they've come out of the oven. Aunt Jemima would be proud.

Bacon-Maple-Macadamia Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup bacon chocolate, rough-chopped
• 1/8 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, rough-chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
3. Combine butter, sugars and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Beat in egg.
5. Incorporate the dry mixture until it is fully combined.
6. Stir in chocolate, maple syrup and nuts.
7. Place spoonfuls of batter about 2 inches apart on a non-stick cookie sheet.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking for deep brown edges.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to serving plate or dish.

Enjoy!

Peel one eye open, catch your reflection in the alarm clock, and ask yourself, “Where am I? How did I get home? Why am I sporting a wedding ring and Ryan Seacrest neck tattoo?

Key to the hangover cure: Adding some heat from a spicy salsa verde.

It’s 11:00 a.m., or is it p.m. … hmmm, what day is it? You groan-slur-slobber audibly but inarticulately (apparently she’s heard this response before and leaves). You roll yourself out of bed, spritz off the funk from last night’s mayhem and drag your limp body downstairs to to Simon, the hottest new brunch spot in Vegas at the Palms Place hotel.

Yes, there are gorgeous sun worshipers awake, alert and lounging poolside (you won’t be one of them). You scan the menu for a quick cure for your head-to-toe hangover and find: Simon French Toast, a brioche crusted with Frosted Flakes; a fried chicken and waffles platter with maple syrup; and a sloppy breakfast sandwich towering with eggs, ham, bacon and cheddar on an English Muffin. Heck, you’d eat it even if you weren’t still slightly drunk.

You ask the waiter-model for the Vegas morning remedy and he gives their most-popular option: the enormous Simon Breakfast Wrap, with a spicy Bloody Mary sidecar, so simple you can make it at home.

Simon’s Breakfast Wrap

• Large flour tortilla
• Hash brown potatoes
• Scrambled eggs
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Crispy bacon
• Green poblano chiles

1. Stuff as much of each of these ingredients in a huge flour tortilla and wrap burrito style. Cut in half and serve with salsa verde.

We’re off-roading this by adding: avocado slices, grilled onions or leeks, mushrooms and a spoonful of sour cream.

Spicy Bloody Mary

• 2 ounces Skyy vodka
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• Couple dashes each of Worcestershire and Tobasco sauces

1. Place ingredients in a pint glass filled with ice and stir to mix
   Garnish with a cocktail pick of 2 green olives and a lemon wedge

If you’re making it at home, one bloody probably won’t cut it – we suggest mixing a pitcher so you can sip well after noon.

Top off with a beer floater to help with digestion (*note, we're not doctors).

We’re test-driving other tried-and-true hangover cures next.

"The Sure Thing" Breakfast in Bed for 2.

Truffled Eggs in a Hat

• Brioche bread, sliced 1-inch thick
• Butter
• 2 eggs
• Truffle cheese (we prefer Boschetto al Tarfuto Bianchetto because it’s easy to grate)

1. Preheat the top broiler in your oven and move the rack to the highest position.
2. Punch a round hole in the center of each slice of brioche (using a cookie cutter makes for a perfectly round “hat” hole, you could use a knife or shot glass too).
3. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter.
4. Toast both pieces of bread in the skillet at the same time, about a minute on each side.
5. Crack an egg into each hole and let cook for a 30 seconds to a minute, until just hard enough to flip over without breaking or falling out of the bread.
6. Flip the bread over in the skillet.
7. Grate the truffle cheese on top of egg and bread, the quickly place in the oven.
8. Broil with the oven open for just a minute or two, until cheese starts to bubble.
9. Remove from the oven and serve. (We skipped salt and pepper because the truffle cheese is bursting with flavor)

Fruit Salad

• 1 plum
• 1 white peach
• 1 yellow tomato
• 1 red tomato
• 4 to 5 basil leaves, chopped
• 4 to 5 mint sprigs, chopped
• Champagne vinegar
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice fruit into equally sized pieces, place in a bowl and add basil and mint leaves.
2. Drizzle with champagne vinegar and olive oil (we like 2 parts vinegar to 1 part olive oil) then season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss and serve.

Plum Bellini

• 4 plums
• 1 bottle Prosecco or Cava (We stocked the house with a case of this Prosecco, at the low price we don’t feel guilty adding fruit to our bubbles).

1. Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.
2. Muddle the plums with a mortar and pestle.
3. Strain juice out (it’s not a ton, but you know us and the girlie drinks).
4. Pour Prosecco into two champagne flutes, about 3/4 full. Add plum juice to fill.
5. Garnish with a thin plum slice and serve.
6. To serve: One last must-have for dining in the bedroom, the tray.

The best assignment we’ve ever given ourselves: Fresh ways to keep our honeys in bed longer on the weekends.

Sidecar with a tequila-chipotle aioli and a rocks-filled margarita.

Mezcal Carnitas

Serves 4 to 6. This recipe makes tender, fall-from-the-bone carnitas. If you like a crispier bite, roast shredded pork in a hot oven for several minutes post stove-top cooking.

• 2 pounds pork shoulder
• Salt
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Dash chile powder and ground cumin
• Bay leaf
• Cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup mezcal
• Water

1. Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder and then sprinkle meat with salt.
2. Place all ingredients in a large stock pot, then add water to cover the pork.
3. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
4. Uncover and continue to cook until the liquid is evaporated. Pork will begin to fall apart.
5. Cool and shred into pieces.

1. Serve with a spread of hand-made tortillas, pickled cabbage or onions, cotija cheese, freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Do we have to mention the guacamole and salsa?

Top with pickled everything — cabbage, jalapeños, onions, radishes, carrots. The spice marries well with the sour.

Whisk your spirits into your mayo and use to top your favorite sandwich.

Chipotle-Tequila Aioli

Bring on the tacos, black-bean cakes and anything else you’ve got hidden in that cocina.

• 1/2 cup quality mayonnaise (yep, full fat)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• S&P to taste
• Fresh cilantro, optional to garnish

1. Whisk ingredients together. Serve.

Bitter Celery Aioli

Place a mini sidecar of this next to your plate for dunking roasted garlic vegetables or sautéed fish.

• 1/2 cup quality mayonnaise (yep, full fat)
• Several dashes celery bitters, to taste

1. Whisk ingredients together. Serve.

Cynar Aioli

Just a dab, please, for omelets or grilled chicken, calamari and vegetables.

• 1/2 cup quality mayonnaise (yep, full fat)
• 1 tablespoon Cynar liqueur (adjust for taste)

1. Whisk ingredients together. Serve.

Drunken Apricot-Mango Aioli

An interesting addition to your raw bar, spicy dumplings or seafood cakes.

• 1/2 cup quality mayonnaise (yep, full fat)
• 1 tablespoon apricot liqueur (adjust for taste)
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• S&P to taste

1. Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor.

This is just a start of the experimentation. Next up, grapefruit, nuts and herbal flavorings.

Freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes or paprika add some heat to the crunch.

Here goes:

• Try them solo or lay them over scallops, fish steaks or a slab of your favorite grilled beef.
• Toss into salads.
• Crunch them over grilled vegetables, dips and omelets.
• Garnish a savory brunch cocktail.
• Make them thicker and serve as the bottom to your one-bite appetizer.

To fuel your OCD, off-road the recipe by hitting the cheese with herbs or seasoning, like parsley or dill, about half-way into cooking. You can also add minced jalapeños or kalamata olives if you want to make guests feel inadequate about their culinary skills.

The Parm Crisp

A good starter recipe, sub in any hard cheese for the parmesan. Our favorite are truffled cheese and those with nutty, stinky or savory notes.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Micro thin-slice your favorite block of parm onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. You can also grate or shred cheese into a circular pattern.
3. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden. Cool and remove with spatula.

Serve these with a round of dips like artichoke-spinach.

Use over-sized cubes that melt more slowly and keep the high-impact flavor in tact.

The drink:

Cuppa Cold Chai

When the temps drop, serve this fireside and steaming hot. In the meantime, sip on ice under your poolside cabana.

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cardamon and fennel seeds
• 1 to 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 tea bag (preferably loose tea in a silk satchel)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar (ratio is 1 teaspoon sugar per 8 ounces water to taste)

1. Add cardamom, fennel, and cinnamon to water in a pot.
2. Boil for about 5 minutes on high heat. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1 tea bag per 8 ounces boiled water. Steep for 3 to 4 minutes and remove tea bags.
4. Add sugar. Strain and chill in the fridge overnight.
5. Serve on ice.

The snack:

Chocolate Snowballs

These frozen chocolate bombs can be spiked with ginger or mint for a more refreshing zing.

• 2 cups water
• 1 hot chocolate packet
• 2 cups crushed chocolate wafers
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar

1. Boil water, add hot chocolate mix and stir.
2. Freeze mixture until malleable enough to mix with other ingredients.
3. Add wafers and butter to hot chocolate. Mix well then form into balls.
4. Roll in powdered sugar.
5. Serve immediately or slightly refreeze for a firmer, cooler consistency.