When I went to Prague, I brought back absinthe. Which was so gross I could never finish a glass.

Whoa, haven't checked on this in awhile - sorry! My gravy recipe is a very mutable thing, but here's the basics:

Heat some olive oil in a thick saucepan, then add a couple spoons of flour and stir to make a roux. Stir over low-medium heat until it's light brown, being careful not to burn, then alternately add small amounts of tamari and veggie broth, whisking thoroughly each time to avoid lumps. That's it for the basic recipe, but to get fancier I'll add any or all of the following: black pepper, cloves, bay leaf, red wine, chopped carrot/garlic/green onions. Let all that stuff simmer for as long as you want, adding more liquid as neccessary, then strain out the chunks and reduce to the desired thickness. The basic style is great, but the fancy version is well worth the extra time. Play with seasonings as you wish.

For braised greens, I get a bag of mixed baby braising greens or chop up some regular greens (kale, chard, escarole, etc.). In a large pan, saute any combo of chopped onions, garlic, and leeks in olive oil, then add the greens and a splash of white wine and/or veggie broth. If they don't all fit at once, let half wilt and then add the other half. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy. Add salt & pepper and a splash of tamari or Bragg's, stir and serve. The more leeks, the merrier.

My standard "special" dinner is roasted garlic mashed potatoes, tofu breaded in seasoned cornmeal and pan-fried, greens braised with leeks and white wine, and veggie gravy. It's delicious, filling, and impressive-looking, but doesn't take forever to cook--I've made this meal on weeknights many times. To cut corners you could roast the garlic and make the gravy a day in advance - or even make the mashed potatoes in advance, then plop them in a casserole dish and heat them up in the oven until the top turns golden brown.

I like to cut them into chunks and braise them with leeks in a little olive oil and veggie broth.

For summer afternoons, I swear by the savory and delicious michelada (which goes by a few names and has many variations). You can make it with or without tequila, according to your preference.

Here's my version, made in a pint glass:

-lots of fresh lime juice
-splash of Tabasco or Tapatillo
-splash of Maggi seasoning sauce (if you don't have this, Worcestershire would be okay, but Maggi is better and can be found at Mexican grocery stores).
-tomato juice
-salt & freshly ground pepper
-Mexican beer (Tecate, Corona, Modelo, whatever you like)
-optional shot of your favorite tequila

Put the lime juice & other seasonings in your glass, then add tomato juice and mix. Add beer (and tequila, if you're using it) to fill the glass and adjust seasonings if neccessary. Throw in a couple ice cubes if you're feeling extra chilled out.

Some people make it without the tomato juice, but I feel that it's a neccessary component.

The first recipe I mastered was a basic brownie recipe from my mom's Fannie Farmer cookbook. Once I had it down pat, I began to experiment and develop the recipe until it was truly special. I was then assigned the role of baking brownies for every family gathering, which made me quite proud of myself. My secret ingredient was heavy cream.