One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, flooooor. (Though there will be no lying down on the floor this year as we are grown adults who pace ourselves and drink responsibly). Elevate your next margarita by using a homemade lemongrass agave syrup rather than 47 gallons of sugar.

Cocktails that do double-duty.

The best way to prevent a hangover? To forego the alcohol altogether. Whatever your reason for not drinking is, we want you to do it in style. Use fresh lime juice and herbs from your garden to create this brag-worthy mocktail. Pinkies up.

Celebrity chef and nutritionist Serena Poon says this recipe is an excellent practice for knife skills and gives an understanding of cooking timing when it comes to working with vegetables of different textures. Yield: 4 servings

Celebrity chef and nutritionist Serena Poon says this dish can be challenging, but only if you aren’t mindful of the directions. Or if you run out of patience. “Mastering this dish requires cooking the rice to the perfect texture, continual stirring, simmering and attention and presence of mind with the dish,” she advises. Yield: 8...