* 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup chopped ripe mango
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Pour into two tall glasses filled with ice. Serve.

* 1 part peach nectar, chilled
* 4 parts lemon-lime soda, chilled

Pour peach nectar in a champagne flute and top with lemon-lime soda. Stir gently and serve.

* 2 whole cloves
* 2 whole allspice berries
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 ounces dark rum
* 1 teaspoon sweet butter
* Freshly grated nutmeg

Combine the cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick, and sugar in a punch cup or mug, and add boiling water to fill. Let stand for 5 minutes; then add the rum and butter, and dust with nutmeg.

3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted chile-sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Peel and seed 3 cucumbers and cut on the diagonal into thin slices. Toss the cucumber pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, transfer to a colander, and let drain for 1 hour.

Toast 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they’re golden brown. Whisk together 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

Rinse the cucumber slices thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and toasted sesame seeds and serve.

2 tablespoons Hunan red chile sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds New York strip steak or beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red pepper jelly
24 wooden or bamboo skewers

In a medium bowl, mix together the Hunan red chile sauce, cornstarch, soy sauce, and olive oil. Add the cubed meat and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but not longer than a few hours.

Remove the meat from the fridge, drain off the marinade, arrange the meat on a plate, and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a 10- to 12-inch nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, then half of the meat. It should smoke and sizzle and cook rapidly. (Make sure your hood fan is on.) Let the pieces of meat cook until they are brown and caramelized on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes for medium rare.

When the meat is just about done, remove the pan from heat and pour off the excess oil. Add half of the chile jam to the pan and toss to coat each beef cube. Skewer the cubes, and serve immediately. When ready for the second batch, repeat with a clean pan.