At the Tabard Inn, Chantal Tseng’s not-so-traditional sherry cocktail gets a shot of tequila. Photograph by Scott Suchman.

The first sherry cocktail that ever touched the lips of Adam Bernbach, bar manager at Proof and Estadio, was the work of another notable local barman: Derek Brown, who owns the Columbia Room and the Passenger cocktail bars in DC. “It was a variation on an Adonis”—a mix of dry sherry, sweet vermouth, and bitters—recalls Bernbach, and the drink made an impression.

Although José Andrés’s Jaleo was the area’s first sherry-cocktail destination, Bernbach is now Washington’s foremost mixer of sherry-enhanced concoctions. He uses dry finos, aromatic amontillados, and dark, rich olorosos in place of base spirits and in supporting roles, sweetening or bittering up drinks as necessary.

Sherry, which begins life as a white-wine grape, hails from the southwest of Spain, in and around the city of Jerez. After vintners press and ferment the fruit, they fortify the wine and age it in barrels, often using the solera system, mixing old batches with new. For years, the Spanish shipped cheap stuff to the United States—that’s how it earned its reputation as Grandma’s super-sweet postprandial sipper.

Today, wine and liquor stores stock an array of sherries, making it easy to experiment at home. A good place to start is this cocktail—which pairs amontillado sherry with aged tequila and Drambuie—from Chantal Tseng at DC’s Tabard Inn.

Sobel stuffs Yorkshire puddings with scallions and Brie for a rich v-day treat.

On Tuesday, we shared a couple of appetizers—one simple, one slightly more involved—from Cork Wine Bar chef Rob Weland. Today, we’re moving on to the main course with two flavor-packed dishes from Adam Sobel at Bourbon Steak. His simple-to-execute spicy Thai beef salad is an excellent pick for kitchen newbies looking to impress a loved one this February 14. And the prime rib cap, while slightly more involved, is sure to wow your favorite beef aficionado.  Be sure to read through the recipes before you begin, as some advance prep is required. 

There's a lot to love about Cork chef Robert Weland's caviar-topped seared scallops. Photograph by Erik Uecke.

Whether you’re looking for a simple yet delicious appetizer for a get-together or trying to wow your valentine with your culinary skills, Cork chef Rob Weland has you covered. The avocado bruschetta is a favorite on the cozy wine bar’s menu, and is perfect for couples (halve the recipe if you’re serving it with a main course) or a Valentine’s Day party. On the other end of the spectrum, seared scallops with pickled and puréed sunchokes make a delicious centerpiece for an intimate table.

Liz Taylor loved Clyde's chili, and so will you.

Ah, the Super Bowl. We all watch it, but some of us are really just in it for the food. If you’ve invited anyone in the latter group to your Super Bowl party (and trust us, you have, even if you don’t know it yet), you’re going to need to do more than just empty a bag of Ripples into a bowl and call it a day. Here’s what we suggest: make chili. It’s easy to prepare ahead of time and very difficult to mess up, particularly if you have a tried-and-true recipe. To help you find one, we took to Twitter last week and asked our followers for favorite versions at Washington restaurants. Chief among the picks: the chili at local chain Clyde’s. You’ll find the recipe after the jump, but first, a fun fact: According to the Clyde’s Restaurant Group, Elizabeth Taylor loved this chili so much, she had it shipped to her by the gallon.

Have a recipe you’d like sniffed out? Tweet us your request with the hashtag #RecipeSleuth.

Todd Thrasher's Cider Car is garnished with an orange twist.

The classic Sidecar cocktail, which gained prominence in America during Prohibition, is made by shaking Cognac with Cointreau and some lemon juice, and is served in a cocktail glass with a sugared rim. For his warm holiday variation on the drink, PX mixologist Todd Thrasher adds hot apple cider, and uses a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for the rim. Soul-warming and simple to prepare, it’s the perfect drink to sip next to the fire this holiday weekend.

Cider Car

Ingredients:
1½ ounces Busnel Calvados Cognac
½ ounce Cointreau
5 ounces hot apple cider
Squeeze of lemon juice

Like a funny, well-read friend, this bacon-roasted pecan recipe shines at cocktail parties. Photograph by Elizabeth Parker

Holiday sipping season is upon us, and everyone knows that hearty winter drinks are best when served with a hearty snack. We love chef Logan Cox’s twist on bar nuts at Ripple: toasted pecans made doubly smoky by a coating of Basque chili pepper and meaty strips of Tennessee bacon (though any smoky slab bacon will do). Make a fresh batch before a party, or prepare them in advance and store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. The only other instructions from the chef?

“Eat the hell out of them till you feel guilty,” says Cox.

Stock up: Turkey soup is a tasty way to use up the bird.

“If I'm going to have a sandwich, it's toasted sourdough bread with avocado, Havarti, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and arugula. We've made chili and turkey soup by taking all the leftover turkey, putting the carcass in a stock pot, pouring over chicken stock, putting in a lot of vegetables, and letting it simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours. Keep skimming it. You can do a lot to it from there. You can add the leftover turkey meat back in, add scallions, pasta noodles, or rice, or just leave it as it is and have a great broth.”

—Chef Robert Wiedmaier, describing what to do with leftover Thanksgiving ingredients in a recent Washingtonian.com chat.