entertaining and gathering

Rob Roy Cocktail

blended Scotch whiskey

sweet vermouth

Angostura bitters

lemon peel,

In a shaker filled with ice, add the Scotch whiskey, the sweet vermouth and the bitters. Stir to chill. Strain into a martini glass (or an equally alluring vessel) and top with a lemon peel.

Wondering whether you can make the mashed potatoes ahead of time and keep them warm? Learn our 4 best methods and when to use each. 

How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm in the Slow Cooker

potatoes

Butter

Cream

You'll need extra butter and cream, along with your finished mashed potatoes.

Butter the slow cooker and add extra cream. Butter the insert of the slow cooker. Drizzle a small amount of cream in the bottom.

Keep warm on LOW for up to 4 hours. Transfer the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker, and set to LOW. Keep warm for up to 4 hours, stirring once an hour. 

Stir before serving. The mashed potatoes will stay warm and creamy. Keep stirring in any cream that separates out; you may find that the potatoes get a little thinner as they sit. 

Air fryer chicken wings are some of the crispiest, juiciest wings you&#x27;ll have outside a restaurant, and they take under an hour to cook.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

chicken wings, flats and drumettes separated

salt

garlic powder

cayenne pepper

sauce,

unsalted butter, melted

Lay the wings out in a single layer and pat them dry on both sides with paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with the salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. 

Place the wings in the air fryer and turn on to 380°F. Cook 25 minutes, removing the basket and tossing the wings with tongs every 5 minutes. After 25 minutes of cooking, the wings should be tender and cooked through. 

Increase the heat to 400°F and cook until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Toss the wings with the hot sauce and melted butter, if desired, before serving. 

Classic corned beef and cabbage gets an easy slow cooker make over. 

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

corned beef brisket

pickling spices

sugar

(8-ounce) bottle lager or brown ale

water

apple cider vinegar

carrots,

waxy potatoes,

yellow onion,

thyme

savoy cabbage (about

Preheat the slow cooker. Set your slow cooker to the LOW setting to preheat while you prepare the vegetables. 

Cover the brisket with the seasoning and cooking liquid. Place the brisket fat-side up in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the pickling spices, sugar, and salt over the brisket. Pour in the beer, followed by enough water just to cover the brisket. Add the vinegar and stir gently to combine. 

Layer the vegetables over the brisket. Scatter the carrots, potatoes, onions, and thyme over the brisket. 

Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the brisket and vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 hours on the LOW setting or 4 to 5 hours on the HIGH setting.

Add the cabbage and cook for 45 minutes longer. Place the cabbage on top of the brisket and cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 45 minutes more. 

Slice the corned beef and serve. Use tongs to remove the brisket from the cooking liquid to a clean cutting board. Slice thinly across the grain. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the vegetables and serve with the brisket. 

Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

olive oil

onions,

Kosher salt

black pepper

garlic,

sweet paprika

cinnamon

ginger

turmeric

(480 milliliters) chicken or vegetable broth

chicken

(80 grams) green olives, pitted and thinly sliced

lemon juice

Roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro for sprinkling

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken pieces with pepper, then add to the pot along with the preserved lemon. (It’s okay if not all the chicken pieces are fully submerged in the broth.) Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and almost falling off the bone, 50 to 60 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the chicken to a platter.

Add the olives and lemon juice to the pot. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings

chicken wings

barbecue sauce

honey

smoked paprika

Vegetable oil,

If the wings are whole and not yet separated, use a chef&#x27;s knife or kitchen shears to cut through the first joint of the wing and remove the wing tip. Discard or freeze for stock. Cut through the second joint to separate the wing into the forearm and upper arm portions. Pat the wings dry with paper towels.

Combine the barbecue sauce, vinegar, honey, and paprika in a medium bowl. Pour half of the sauce into a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, and save the remaining sauce for brushing and serving.

Add the wings and the water into the slow cookers and stir to coat. Cover and cook until the wings are cooked through and tender, but not falling apart, on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Using tongs, transfer the cooked wings to a large platter or baking sheet and discard the liquid left in the slow cooker.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the grill with oil. Place the wings on the grill in a single layer. Cook until grill marks form on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the wings and brush with some of the reserved barbecue sauce mixture. Cook until grill marks appear on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Brush with more sauce before serving, or serve with the remaining sauce.

Minty Sweet Pea and Mascarpone Dip

fresh peas, shelled (or frozen peas, defrosted)

lemon,

mint leaves, finely chopped

mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper

Fresh vegetables, pita bread,

If using fresh peas, add to a pot of salted boiling water, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain the water and cool the peas completely.

Add peas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and mint to the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Stir in the mascarpone and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with your favorite fresh vegetables, pita bread, or crackers.

Juicy pulled pork and a crunchy peanut slaw, all ready to be wrapped up.

Slow-Cooked Hoisin and Ginger Pork Wraps with Peanut Slaw

pork

hoisin sauce

cabbage

roasted, unsalted peanuts,

cilantro

light vegetable oil,

rice vinegar

granulated sugar, plus more as needed

Asian sesame oil

tamari or soy sauce, plus more as needed

Spicy chili-garlic sauce,

Make ahead: The pork can be assembled in the slow cooker and refrigerated uncooked overnight.Storage: Leftover hoisin pork can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Leftover slaw can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days.Hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce is a rather sweet and lightly spicy barbecue sauce used in Chinese cooking (look for ones labeled gluten-free if you are keeping the dish gluten-free). If you don&#x27;t want to use a processed product from the store, try making your own! Here is a recipe for basic hoisin sauce that calls for soy sauce, honey, hot sauce, and other common ingredients.

The Kitchn

Faith Durand

Step 1

Make the pork: Season the pork shoulder all over with the salt and pepper. Place it in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker, cutting it into pieces to fit if needed. Sprinkle with the ginger and garlic, then pour the hoisin sauce over everything. Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the pork is fork tender, 8 to 10 hours. Use 2 large forks to shred the meat and mix it with the sauce.

Step 2

Make the slaw: When ready to serve, core and then cut the cabbage into very fine shreds. The fineness of the shredded cabbage is really what makes this salad; you want it in in threads, almost, and with the threads chopped into bite-sized lengths. Place in a large bowl. Add the peanuts, scallions, and cilantro; season very lightly with salt and pepper; and toss to combine.

Step 3

Place the oil, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and tamari or soy sauce in a medium bowl and whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust to your own preferences of sweetness and saltiness with more sugar or soy sauce as needed. Add to the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Garnish with a few more peanuts if desired.

Step 4

To serve: Stack a few tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp towel, and microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through, repeating until all the tortillas are warmed through (keep covered with the towel).

Step 5

To assemble, fill the tortillas with the shredded pork, top with the slaw and chile-garlic sauce, and eat like tacos or wrap up like a burrito.

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/oXt2uSo8

This recipe very handily fed almost a dozen people at a recent weekend get-together; there were even leftovers. It's also a very easy and delicious recipe with terrific flavor. And yet it takes less than half an hour to put it all together. Perfect menu for company!

Slow-Cooked Pork Wraps

Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Sauce

yellow onion, finely diced

coarse kosher salt

matzo meal

jumbo eggs

leaf

lamb

extra lean (96/4) ground beef

extra virgin olive oil

turmeric (optional, for color)

If you are holding the sauce before serving, it will thicken up a bit — thin it out to a pourable consistency by whisking in a tablespoon or two of hot water. If you are unable to track down ground lamb, you can ask your butcher to grind a pound of lamb shoulder, or grind your own at home. Here’s our tutorial on how to use your food processor for this task.

Coco Morante

To make the meatballs: In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil just until some small bubbles appear around the garlic and it becomes aromatic, about two minutes.

Add the diced onions and salt to the skillet, and sauté until the onions are softened, translucent, and have wilted considerably but not yet begun to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, eggs, water, parsley, and black pepper to form a paste. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

When the onions and garlic have cooled, add them to the mixing bowl with the matzo meal paste and stir until thoroughly combined.

Add the ground lamb and beef to the mixing bowl. Using your hands, a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon, gently combine the ground meats with the matzo meal mixture until just combined.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure to portion out the mixture into meatballs, rolling them by hand and placing on the baking sheets, two inches apart.

Step 7

Bake the meatballs until cooked through and golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.

Step 8

To make the egg and lemon sauce: In the top pot of a double boiler over medium heat, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, egg yolks, and turmeric together. Whisk often and vigorously until hot and thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.

Step 9

Serve immediately, spooning about a tablespoon of sauce onto each meatball.

My Kind of Spring Drink Recipe: Strawberry Gin Smash

limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)

strawberries

club soda

mint sprigs,

lime wedge

strawberries,

Club soda

mint sprig,

Make-ahead: You can make this pitcher ahead; mix everything except the club soda and ice, then refrigerate overnight. A night in the fridge will also help the strawberries add more flavor and color to the drink.

Maureen Petrosky

Step 1: For a pitcher:

Muddle the sugar and limes in a pitcher that holds at least 8 cups (64 ounces). Set aside 6 to 8 small strawberries and make a small slice in their tips. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries and muddle the slices lightly with the sugar and lime juice.

Step 2: For a pitcher:

Stir in the gin and club soda and pack the pitcher full of ice. Add mint sprigs to garnish. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with a strawberry, slotted onto the edge of the glass.

Step 1: For a single drink:

In a tall glass, combine the sugar and a squeeze of juice from the lime wedge. Muddle with the back of a spoon to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced strawberries and lightly muddle.

Step 2: For a single drink:

Fill the glass with ice and add the gin. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with the last strawberry and a sprig of mint.

How to dye Easter eggs with beets, turmeric, cabbage, and more.

How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs (Using Ingredients You Already Have at Home!)

unpeeled,

Distilled white vinegar

Neutral oil,

beets

red onion

onion orange

turmeric (for yellow eggs)

blueberries (for blue eggs)

hibiscus flowers (for indigo or lavender eggs)

You can also start with raw eggs and cook them in the dye bath as described in this how-to on onion-skin eggs. I found that with dyes like the hibiscus tea and beets, the color was more concentrated with the refrigerator method. Of course, this method requires clearing out some space in the refrigerator.Play around with different ingredients to find new colors, or soak in different dye baths for a layering effect.Beware that the actual shade of the final eggs may change when exposed to the air and dried.Keep in mind the effect of the dyes varies depending on how concentrated the dye is, what color egg you use, and how long and how many times the eggs are immersed in the dye. Err on the side of more material rather than less when creating your dye.

Sara Kate Gillingham

Place 1 cup water and 1 cup dye option of choice (purple cabbage, onion skins, etc.) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat down to low. Cover and simmer until the color is a few shades darker than you want for your egg, 15 to 30 minutes. Drip a little dye onto a white dish to check the color.

Remove the pan from the heat. Let cool to room temperature. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over another saucepan or bowl. Press on the solids in the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the contents of the strainer. 

Measure the amount of strained liquid. Add 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar per 1 cup strained liquid and stir to combine.

Arrange 6 room-temperature, hard-boiled eggs in a medium bowl or quart container (like a yogurt container). Carefully pour the cooled dye over the eggs and make sure they are completely submerged.

Refrigerate until chilled and the desired color is reached, a few hours or up to overnight. Remove the eggs from the dye and dry with paper towels. If you want your eggs to be more vibrant and less pastel, give the eggs multiple soaks in the dye, being sure to dry them between stints in the dye.

When the eggs are dyed to the desired color, dry each one thoroughly with a paper towel. Gently rub in little oil neutral oil into each egg. Polish with a paper towel. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Explore a variation of colors with different natural ingredients on your eggs — which are all totally safe to eat!

Top 11 entertaining and gathering recipes from across the web

The most viewed entertaining and gathering recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Rob Roy Cocktail

How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm in...

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lem...

Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings

Minty Sweet Pea and Mascarpone Dip

Slow-Cooked Hoisin and Ginger Pork ...

Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Lemon S...

My Kind of Spring Drink Recipe: Str...

How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs (U...

Top 11 entertaining and gathering recipes from across the web

The most viewed entertaining and gathering recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Rob Roy Cocktail

How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm in...

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lem...

Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings

Minty Sweet Pea and Mascarpone Dip

Slow-Cooked Hoisin and Ginger Pork ...

Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Lemon S...

My Kind of Spring Drink Recipe: Str...

How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs (U...

The most viewed entertaining and gathering recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine