102 special recipes

Pan-fried brook trout stuffed with a creamy shrimp and ginger mousseline, finished with lemon brown butter and parsley. An elegant French-style fish course for a special occasion.

Seared buffalo tenderloin medallions finished with a Jack Daniels pan sauce of veal stock and cream. A restaurant-quality 20-minute dinner for two that feels like a special occasion.

Sauteed green beans with garlic, mint, and white vinegar topped with crumbled feta cheese and chopped walnuts. A Mediterranean-style side dish that turns frozen green beans into something special.

PB&J specials made with rolled bread dough stuffed with peanut butter and jelly, topped with melted butter and chopped peanuts, then baked golden. A fun twist on a childhood classic.

Chicken scallopine in a creamy mushroom sauce with breadcrumb-crusted cutlets, sautéed onion, and a nutmeg-kissed cream finish. An Italian-American classic that turns weeknight chicken into something special.

Grilled beef tenderloin topped with melted Asadero cheese and a butter-mounted chipotle sauce, finished with crumbled Cotija and fresh cilantro. A Mexican-style steakhouse treatment for special-occasion grilling.

Grilled lamb rib chops with a creamy white wine and gorgonzola sauce. Bold blue cheese reduction over rosy lamb, fast enough for a weeknight and rich enough for a special occasion.

An air-dried roast duck glazed with Scotch, soy, honey, ginger, and brown sugar marinade until the skin turns deep mahogany. A Peking-duck-inspired showstopper for a special-occasion dinner.

Tender scallops poached in their own cooking liquid, then folded into a velvety mayonnaise sauce flavored with thyme. Served over buttered toast for an elegant brunch or light supper that feels special.

Whipped cream cheese and sour cream folded with caviar, fresh dill, grated onion, and a squeeze of lemon. A 15-minute no-cook appetizer dip that turns any gathering into something special.

A Jellie of Fyshe: a medieval-style aspic of cod, scallops, and shrimp suspended in a clear gelatin set with white wine, ginger, and vinegar. The historic seafood starter for special occasions.

Basic rack of lamb: a French-trimmed rack marinated, then roasted hot to a rosy medium-rare and carved into elegant double-bone chops. The foundation technique for an impressive special-occasion main.

A stunning cold Chinese platter of shredded vegetables, wood ear fungus, egg strips, and hand-pulled chicken, layered and dressed in a mustard-ginger-sesame-Chinkiang vinegar sauce. A showpiece salad for special occasions.

This recipe is from a Toronto restaurant called "The Stockyards". There's no reason to settle for a boring average grilled cheese when it's so easy to kick it up a notch and create something very special.

Golden-seared veal cutlets topped with a warm bourbon-spiked apricot and orange compote laced with ginger. Sweet, savory, and citrusy all at once, this elegant 40-minute dinner for four feels like a special occasion.

Easy kimchi for first-timers: salted napa cabbage fermented with green onion, garlic, ginger, and dried chile in a simple brine. No fish sauce, no special paste. Let it bubble on the counter, then chill the funky, sour, crunchy result.