New Year's

Smoked almonds and black olives are our suggestions for this appetizer, but use any nut or olive that you like.

This figs recipe is sweet, salty, sticky, and acidic—everything you want in a one-bite appetizer.

Traditional Greek skordalia is mostly garlic and olive oil with some potato or nuts added to thicken it. We flipped the ratio in this recipe: more potato, less garlic. Serve as a dip, or thin out with lemon juice and olive oil and use as a sauce for fish.

Turn this tea punch recipe up a notch with a decorative ice ring.

Apple and cheddar met on a cheese board, realized they both dreamed of someday turning into a deep-fried doughnut, and ran off to do just that.

Kohlrabi has a muted flavor and crunchy texture similar to a broccoli stem, which is something to keep in mind for this pickles recipe.

This has become a Staplehouse all-star. We simplified it a bit, setting it in jars rather than the buttery pastry crust it’s served in at the restaurant. Don’t worry: We didn’t mess with the shamelessly high ratio of butter and cream to liver.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, shred the cooked meat with two forks and then mix it vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine with the other ingredients. This recipe is from Wildair, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Set this up on Sunday and have tapas at home when you get back from work, all week long. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

XO sauce can be used as an all-purpose condiment. It’s great over rice, steamed or roasted veggies, or roast chicken.

These snaggable, snackable wedges have more in common with a bowl of party mix than any perfunctory salad.

This recipe will make more squash topping than you need, but the leftovers hold well and are a great addition to a simple salad.

Smoked pork hocks don’t just add meatiness and body to this chile verde recipe; they release smoky, salty notes as they cook, seasoning the beans in the process.

Don’t scoff at the sour cherries in this Chex mix recipe! Their sweet bite and chewy texture are the perfect foil for all the crunch and salt and spice. But if you’re really not into it, sub mini chocolate chips instead.

Try this with white beans on toast, in salads, or puréed and spread on pita.

Two types of rum double the fun in this citrusy punch. If you can’t find kumquats, add another orange.

“Without the oleo-saccharum, the punch would be flat,” Jack McGarry, one of the owners of the Dead Rabbit in NYC, insists. “It’s vital.”

Ask your butcher for a square piece of pork belly: It’ll make for even slices and a good fat-to-meat ratio.

When all else fails, just add toast.

Choose a mild and creamy Gorgonzola for this dip—and then smear it on everything you can.

For a slightly more casual vibe, pack this sweet-and-savory mixture into a jar and serve with a knife for spreading on the toasts.

Intentionally burning vegetables—it’s a thing! The burnt onion powder adds a smoky, slightly bitter finish to the rich dip, and is responsible for the black part of this tuxedo-inspired crudite.

The pickled hard-boiled eggs are a great snack on their own—they’re sold individually at Shed in Healdsburg, California.

The effort-to-impressiveness ratio doesn’t get much better than this, people. Go ahead and double (Triple! Quadruple!) this recipe and you’ve got hostess gifts, emergency entertaining fodder, and quick, decadent snacks for days.