358 special recipes

Caviar kisses with salmon caviar on cucumber rounds topped with dill sour cream, served with buttered heart-shaped toast points. An elegant two-bite appetizer for special occasions.

Hot dogs Provencale simmered in a rustic tomato sauce with crispy bacon, onion, and garlic. A French-inspired one-skillet dinner that turns humble franks into something special.

Chocolate nut torte: a four-layer sponge cake filled with silky cooked chocolate-buttercream frosting and topped with chopped nuts. An old-world holiday torte for special occasions.

Loaded mashed potato casserole with sauteed peppers, onions, crumbled bacon, and melted cheddar broiled on top. A crowd-pleasing side dish that turns leftover mashed potatoes into something special.

Neiman Marcus seven layer cake is a legendary Texas department-store dessert: seven paper-thin vanilla cake layers stacked with chocolate butter frosting. Stately, showy, and engineered for special occasions.

Layered avocado terrine with Dijon mustard and whipped cream, sliced and served with poached shrimp and a fresh basil tomato cream sauce. A showstopping chilled appetizer for special occasions.

Lobster tails in patty shells spoons sweet lobster meat in a sauterne-spiked cream sauce with mushrooms, olives, and pimento into golden puff pastry shells. A retro special-occasion dinner straight from the supper-club era.

Slow-roasted duck stuffed with oyster bread dressing and basted with a lemon-butter-thyme mixture until golden and crispy. A showpiece roast for holiday dinners and special occasions.

Grilled veal rib chops marinated in lemon and shallots, served with a reduced cream sauce brightened with fresh chives and lemon juice. An elegant main course for special dinners.

A classic Hungarian Dobos torte with thin sponge cake layers filled with chocolate coffee buttercream and glazed in melted semi-sweet chocolate. An impressive European pastry for special occasions.

Sweet sausage slices simmer in a sticky brown sugar glaze spiked with horseradish and ketchup, creating this sweet-and-tangy main dish that transforms weeknight rice into something special.

Succulent prawns swim in coconut-lemongrass curry with snap peas and Thai red curry paste. Jasmine rice infused with actual jasmine tea makes this 40-minute Thai feast special.

Fresh raspberries nestled in a toasted walnut crust and covered with silky white chocolate ganache. This elegant make-ahead tart chills overnight and serves beautifully for any special occasion.

Homemade crepes filled with chicken, green peas, and pimiento, then baked under a silky Gruyère and white wine cheese sauce with mushrooms. French-inspired elegance for a special dinner.

Sautéed chicken nestled on herbed rice with stewed tomatoes, white wine, and Brussels sprouts, slow-cooked until the flavors meld into something truly special. Set it and savor it.

Fluffy apricot salad dressing made with apricot nectar, eggs, and whipped cream for a fruity, custard-like topping. A retro gem that transforms any fruit salad into something special.