Three friends and their drinks

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Rock Your Specialty
Claim ownership of a "specialty" you love to whip up and keep the ingredients on hand. Whether it's after the kids' baseball game or the place for the late-late, after-after party, make your address the crew's place to be (last-minute guests always welcome).

Consider a meal that rocks around the clock—for example, a well-made omelet is delicious morning, noon and night. Keep eggs, butter, salt and pepper stocked, along with your an eight-inch nonstick pan. Whatever you have on hand that day makes the plat-du-jour—cheese, herbs, ham, onions, even crème fraîche, smoked salmon and caviar! The Web is loaded with advice, recipes and obscure techniques for styling your specialty—even desserts!

Extend the concept, if you like, to a house cocktail that swings all ways as well. The classic Bellini is simple and inexpensive. Or you can jazz it up with Pomegranate and Cranberry. In any case, you should always have something sparkling within reach!

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