Most likely, you’ve cooked with red and white wines, but have you tried cooking with rose? Wine is a useful ingredient when cooking. A mere splash can enhance the flavor of soups and stews, sauces and marinades. When wine cooks, the alcohol evaporates, leaving the essence of the wine to infuse a dish. This is why it’s always advised to choose a wine you would like to drink when adding it to a recipe. It doesn’t have to be a pricey bottle, but it should certainly be quaffable.

Generally speaking, when cooking a savory dish with wine, you don’t want to choose one that will overpower with sweetness, fruit and oak. Rather, opt for dry, slightly acidic, un-oaked wines as the best all-around choice. Rose wines fall easily into this category with varietals and blends that range from light and dry to crisp and fruity. Roses can often be added to recipes that are enhanced by white wine, adding acidity and light fruit notes to fish and shellfish, chicken, risotto, pasta and cream sauces, as well as fruity syrups and compotes.

In this recipe, rose wine pairs exceptionally well with the natural sweetness and brininess of sea scallops, while adding a hint of fruity freshness and acidity to balance the rich cream sauce.

Sea Scallops With Pink Peppercorn Cream Sauce

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 3 to 4

1 pound medium-large scallops (about 18)

Salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small shallot, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons

2 teaspoons pink peppercorns

1 cup dry rose wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon, plus extra for garnish

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for garnish

Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and then lightly season on all sides with salt.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the scallops and sear, undisturbed, until a golden brown crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and sear on the other side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan and let it melt over medium heat. Add the shallots, peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute the shallots until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Pour in the rose and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 more minutes.

Stir in the 1 tablespoon tarragon and the black pepper. Return the scallops to the skillet and simmer over medium heat to gently warm, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer to serving plates and garnish with additional tarragon and a few grinds of black pepper.

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This recipe is not entirely authentic. I prefer to call it an improvised Ma Po Tofu, because when the craving strikes for this spicy, satisfying Asian soup, but it happens to be a Sunday night in the dead of winter and you happen to be in your P.J.'s, it’s time to dig deep and improvise.

This happened to me recently, when I turned to a David Tanis recipe in The New York Times as a template. I didn’t have all of the ingredients, so I winged it with what I happened to have stashed in my refrigerator, plus extra smidges of this and that to ramp up the flavor and spice to my taste.

You can do this, too, if you are properly prepared. So, with this in mind -- and in preparation for any future pajama-clad cravings you may experience -- I am here to suggest investing in a few Asian staples to add to your pantry. These are the critical “this and that” condiments that will tip a dish to crave-sating deliciousness, the obscure secret ingredients that add lip-smacking flavor to many spicy and savory dishes, Asian or otherwise. They also have a conveniently long shelf life, so you can tuck them into the back of your cabinet or fridge and forget about them until the need arises or craving strikes.

The first condiment I recommend purchasing is gojuchang. It’s a Korean fermented hot chili paste, which adds a smoky kick of heat, mild glutinous-rice sweetness, and that elusive umami flavor to sauces, marinades and soups, making them positively addicting. The next condiment is fermented black bean and garlic sauce, which has a murky, almost meaty quality that adds depth and savory flavor to stir-fries and marinades.

And, while we are on the subject of must-haves, another ingredient I highly recommend (that is not needed in this recipe, but you’re going to the store anyway) is miso paste. A dab of this fermented soybean paste adds salty, savory, umami flavor to broths, sauces, marinades, even sweets -- think miso-salted caramel. All of these staples can be found in the international section of many well-stocked supermarkets or in Asian specialty stores and can be stored in your refrigerator for up to one year.

And since we are talking about cravings, I will add that once all of the ingredients are assembled for this soup recipe, you can whip it up in a matter of minutes, which is a boon to instant gratification.

Ma Po Tofu

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

1 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large red jalapeno chile, seeded, chopped

2 tablespoons fermented hot chili paste, such as gojuchang

1 tablespoon fermented black bean and garlic sauce

2 tablespoons grated fresh peeled ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons chicken or mushroom stock

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

15 ounces semi-firm tofu, patted dry, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional

4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, add the mushrooms, and let steep for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chile, chili paste and black bean sauce and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cooking water to the wok. Stir in 1 cup stock, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Slide the tofu into the soup and reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the 3 tablespoons stock and add to the soup, and cook until the soup is hot. Taste for seasoning, and add sugar if desired. Stir in the scallions. Serve hot.

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A flourless chocolate cake is the “must-have” little black dress of desserts. Minimal, simple and universally pleasing, it’s a classic for all occasions. And, short of intravenous therapy, it’s one of the most intense forms of chocolate consumption you will experience. A tiny sliver of this luscious, gluten-free cake goes a long way (or maybe not, depending on your willpower).

Since the cake is flourless, it demands a very short list of ingredients, which means that the spotlight is rightly on the chocolate. Don’t skimp in this department. Choose the best-quality dark (70 to 72%) chocolate you can lay your hands on, because it makes all the difference, and you will be rewarded with a stunning cake.

Like the quintessential black dress, you can keep it simple or accessorize it for extra bling. Serve it “naked” with a dusting of powdered sugar. For more sparkle, you can wrap it in a shiny sheen of chocolate glaze. Either way, feel free to serve the cake with gently sweetened whipped cream, which adds a cooling ethereal contrast to the inky chocolate wedge. And if fresh strawberries are available, for goodness sake, don’t hold back.

Glazed Flourless Chocolate Cake

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Makes 1 (9-inch) cake; Serves 10

Cake:

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

12 ounces high-quality dark chocolate (70 to 72%), chopped

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

4 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

Whipped cream and fresh strawberries, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder and tap out the excess.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and smooth, and remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a large clean bowl and then stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla and salt.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With the machine running, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until medium-firm peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate to blend, and then gently fold in the remaining whites, in 2 additions, without overmixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake until the top of the cake is slightly puffed and cracked and a knife inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan. (If desired, the cake can be served unglazed at this point. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.)

To make the glaze, place the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just reaches a simmer and pour over the chocolate. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Keep warm.

Remove the side of the cake pan, invert the cake onto a plate, and discard the parchment. Pour the glaze over the center of the cake. Spread the glaze over the top and down the sides of the cake, using an offset spatula to smooth the glaze. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 10 minutes.

Serve at room temperature with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS