Cranberry

Cranberry is not vodka's best friend. Real vodka drinkers know this, but for years their taste has been marginalized by a craft cocktail scene obsessed with whiskey. Change is on the horizon, however. As Los Angeles bartenders vie to keep up with the next trending drink wave, venues all over town are favoring clear spirits. Well-regarded mixologists including Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello of the cocktail consulting firm Tello/Demarest Liquid Assets are leading the way, serving as brand ambassadors to Stoli Elit vodka and Bols Genever (a grain-based, gin-like spirit)

"Take one," the waiter says, proffering a vase sprouting savory lollipops. Each stick holds a round of squid sitting on a cube of dark red chorizo. "Eat them in one bite, so you get both tastes at once," comes the further instruction. I do. The sweet meaty squid and the spicy paprika-streaked chorizo are terrific together. These savory lollies are the opening flourish in a beautifully paced tasting menu at Providence , the Los Angeles seafood restaurant that celebrates its fifth anniversary this year.

Q: I published the original article on cranberry juice cocktail and urinary tract infections (Journal of Urology, May 1984). We also demonstrated in several nursing home studies that cranberry juice cocktail, not the plain juice, works best. Please spare your readers the tartness of the straight juice. — Anthony E. Sobota, PhD A: Thank you for investigating this old wives' tale in such a scientific manner. Investigators have confirmed your original findings and explored why it works (Urology online, April 16, 2010)

During the fall of my junior year of college in Wisconsin, I moved off campus into a private home with five roommates. That year our housemother prepared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for us. She set up a big dining room table in her small living room with a white tablecloth, fine china and crystal. She served a bountiful dinner of turkey and ham with all the trimmings. But my favorite dish of the entire meal was the cranberry salad. I liked it so much that I asked her for the recipe.