Tom Colicchio

Tom Colicchio is a master with meat, and his tender, succulent braised short ribs are much in demand at his Craft restaurants. He marinates the short ribs along with vegetables in wine, then discards those vegetables and braises the ribs with fresh vegetables. To make this dish at home, use the same vegetables in the marinade and the braise.

Make-Ahead Tip: The frittatas can be baked up to 3 hours ahead.

Colicchio perfected the dish here when he was working at Manhattan's Gramercy Tavern, braising the tender rabbit with sweet tomatoes, spicy soppressata and olives.

When making a punch, opt for affordable, high-quality wines and spirits. For the sparkling wine, try Cava from Spain. If you don't have Cointreau stocked in your bar, try using Grand Marnier or another triple sec.

Make-Ahead Tip: The dip can be refrigerated overnight without the avocados. Bring to room temperature and fold in the diced avocados before serving.

Make-Ahead Tip: The soft-boiled eggs can be refrigerated overnight, and the crostini toasts can be stored in an airtight container overnight. Mix the egg salad and assemble the crostini up to 30 minutes before serving.