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To make the spicy crab, whisk the canola oil, chili paste, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Fold in the crabmeat and mint and season with a pinch of salt. Fill espresso or sake cups about three-quarters full with the chilled pea soup. Garnish the pea shots with a generous tablespoon of the spicy crab and serve right away.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

with Sesame and Cilantro

1 hour

Chicken wings don’t have to be just chicken wings. This teriyaki glaze is incredibly easy to make and turns a boring concept into something sophisticated.

Serves 6 * Makes 2½ cups sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup grapefruit juice

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup ketchup

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 fresh red chile, halved

5 garlic cloves, halved

2-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed

Chicken Wings

2 dozen chicken wings, about 3¼ pounds, rinsed and patted dry

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish (see Note)

½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chile, garlic, and ginger in a pot. Bring to a slow boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken wings generously with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken wings in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the skin gets crispy. With tongs, dip the wings in the teriyaki sauce and return them to the oven for 10 minutes to glaze. An impressive presentation is to serve these chicken wings family style: Arrange them on a large platter, pour over the remaining sauce, and sprinkle them with the sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve the wings with a large stack of cocktail napkins.

Curried Deviled Eggs

with Salmon Caviar

1 hour

People love these, and the salmon caviar gives this classic an updated twist.

Makes 24

1 dozen eggs

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ounce salmon caviar, for garnish

¼ bunch fresh chives, minced, for garnish

Put the eggs in your largest pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. Cool the eggs by running them under cool water. Peel them and cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop the egg yolks into a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, curry, cayenne, and salt and pepper and puree until smooth.

Classically, the yolk filling is piped into the egg white using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. This presentation is very old school but it’s actually a really quick method, too. If you prefer, use a teaspoon to fill the eggs. They’ll look great either way. Garnish the eggs with the caviar and chives.

Salmon Gravlax

1 day to cure the salmon * 2 hours for everything else

This takes a little planning but the effort is well worth it. The salmon gravlax takes 5 minutes to put together and about 24 hours to cure in the salt. The flavor is fresh and buttery. Super-fresh fish is a must.

Serves 20

Salmon Gravlax

1 lemon

1 cup coarse sea salt

½ cup sugar

½ bunch fresh dill

2-pound side of salmon, 1 inch thick, pin bones removed, skin on

Buckwheat Blini

1 package active dry yeast

1½ cups warm milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for sautéing

3 eggs, separated

Dill Crème Fraîche

½ cup crème fraîche

½ bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

Remove the zest of the lemon with a vegetable peeler in fat strips and toss it in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar, and dill; toss to combine. Lay the fish in a large glass baking dish. Pack the salt mixture on and around the salmon.