It's not very often that I whip up a plated lamb dinner for friends. Good-quality lamb is a real splurge, but sometimes life's events call for nothing less than the best. This simple, showstopping menu does just that.

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Every once in a while, you've gotta pull out all the stops. You've got to roll your own pasta and spend an afternoon carefully folding it around spoonfuls of creamy  cheese while gazing out the window and listening to This American Life. Then you have to serve this handmade tortellini as its very own course at an extra-special dinner party. And serve it simply — not buried in a rich ragu, but with a few ladles of good Parmesan-infused broth so everyone can taste how amazing these little pasta dumplings truly are. Trust me on this one. It's worth it.

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I absolutely love a good cocktail party and think we should all be throwing them a lot more often. It's less pressure than hosting a full-on dinner party, you get to invite more people to stand in clusters around your apartment's tiny living room, and you still get to pull out your high heels. Plus, cocktail appetizers are the best. When else do you get to eat half a dozen bacon-wrapped potato bites with well-shaken Manhattan and call it dinner?

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Joanne Weir, a San Francisco chef, tequila expert, and the subject of one of our early kitchen tours, makes a margarita at her Bay Area restaurant Copita that is known as one of the best in the region. She says — and I agree whole-heartedly — that the biggest mistake people make with their margaritas is that they use too many ingredients like Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau. It’s all about the balance of sweet and tart in a glass with just a few ingredients: 100% agave tequila (Weir prefers blanco), freshly squeezed lime juice and agave nectar. 

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I just returned from my first trip to Lebanon, where I spent a week eating and drinking all over the country. Whether in a restaurant or someone's home, no matter where I stopped for a drink, I was always offered a bowl or two of mixed nuts. This, I learned, was no coincidence.

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With their bright colors and futuristic appeal, Dippin' Dots are a kid favorite at carnivals and beyond, but we're much more interested in this adult-friendly update: alcoholic Dippin' Dots! Gizmodo has the full step-by-step instructions for making your own version at home.

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I have imbibed my fair share of drinks at trendy cocktail bars, and after a while, a gal starts to pick up a thing or two about making a top-notch cocktail. It's not always about fancy artisan spirits or the enthusiasm with which you shake that cocktail shaker. Just as often, it's the little things that make the difference — simple things that can take our own cocktails from good to restaurant-worthy.

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I consider caramel popcorn to be the ultimate party treat — beloved by the attendees of children's birthday parties and grown-up cocktail hours alike. It's crunchy, it's deeply caramelized, and it's utterly addictive. If your only experience with caramel popcorn is the sticky-sweet stuff that comes Christmas tins, then I insist that you drop whatever you are currently doing and make yourself a batch this afternoon.

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Even though you can ask your guests to bring alcohol, I always feel a little lame asking folks to contribute, especially when I can throw a great feast on my own. Alcohol can be a large expense, so if you're looking to cut costs and spend your dough on the food, try this simple formula for a refreshing dinner party sipper. 

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Scones — American scones at least — are notorious for being about as tasty as hockey pucks. After sampling a near-perfect scone at a bakery recently, however, I took it upon myself to create a fluffy, flavorful from-scratch recipe that would be considered not only edible, but delicious. This version with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes is up to the challenge!

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