Like any slightly (or not-so-slightly) compulsive Top Chef aficionado, I have scoured the show’s site for contestant bios. I’ve found that, like most Americans, the majority of chefs on the program boast multicultural backgrounds and cite various culinary traditions in their cooking. And of course the sweaty, knife-tossing, and slightly panicked contestants often whip up fusion dishes, combining elements from disparate traditions (along with the pizzazz from their own imaginations). Recently, I decided to take their some of this, some of that philosophy to heart -- and to the kitchen. Perhaps it was the irresistible scent of baking dough and melty cheese that wafted into my apartment from nearby Cheeseboard Pizza Collective, but I knew I had to include pizza, that quintessential Italian dish, and principal sustenance of college kids everywhere. Feeling adventurous, I left my tomato sauce and oregano in the fridge. This would be an international pizza.

The World Series is winding down, with Yankees and Phillies duking it out for baseball’s bragging rights. Although my household isn’t particularly invested in the outcome -- my husband is a diehard Detroit Tigers fan, and let’s just say that my team hasn’t been to the World Series since 1945 -- I can’t resist the opportunity to sit on the couch for hours watching sports. To play up the rivalry, I’m passing on various nightlife attractions and planning a World Series-themed dinner party. One of the best things about baseball is its unpretentious, all-American traditions, so this is not the time to impress guests with a gourmet menu. Instead, I’ll be serving fare from the competing cities. Nothing says Phillies like, well, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, and New York cheesecake is a crowd-pleaser no matter where the sports allegiances stand.

Monday nights used to be a football-only affair in my house, but a recently acquired TV addiction -- House -- has parked our channel-surfing habits squarely at this other gruesome show. Whereas the NFL makes great background for dinner (especially if that meal includes nachos), House’s scenes of surgeries, hemorrhaging, and intubations flatline my appetite. To appease a slightly macabre sense of humor (and my love of a tasty toddy), I’m planning a House-themed Bloody Mary night. Not for the squeamish, the hour-long fête will include the night’s episode of our favorite sarcastic MD, boozy beverages, and, of course, a drinking game.

Confession: I know next to nothing about wine, beyond the fact that I like it. A lot. All Sideways snobbery aside, I swoon at a lovely pinot grigio or a deep Merlot. I love chef- and sommelier-crafted wine flights paired with my meal, like the exquisite selections of Greens, San Francisco’s landmark gourmet vegetarian restaurant. Their wines complement the prix fixe’s four stellar plates, bringing out the sharpness of a cheese, or softening the spiciness of a roasted pepper. Unfortunately, I can’t bring a sommelier home along with my doggie bag of leftovers, so I’m left to figure out things on my own. Which brings me back to the aforementioned admission. The usual wine rules of thumb -- red for beef, white for fish -- fail in my mostly meatless kitchen.

Flavored spirits, with their cloying lemon, vanilla, or apple tastes, often get a bad rap -- and for good reason. Their additives may reflect some vague semblance to whatever pretty picture is on the label, but they don’t stand up to the real thing. High-minded bars, like San Francisco’s green-certified Elixir, infuse their own booze to make delicious liquors that taste anything but fake. Elixir’s bartenders mix up an inventive menu (their infusions include rose hips, Bing cherries, cucumber, and cocoa beans, just to name a few) -- all from natural, and usually organic, ingredients. Embrace your inner mixologist by infusing spirits at home for a surprisingly refreshing tipple.

What’s black and white and red all over? The love of coffee and wine, which is showing up in cafés from Brooklyn to Manhattan to Seattle (Starbucks’ latest “community” coffee houses have applied for liquor licenses). You can put your own twist on the vino-cuppa hybrid by adapting the deep delve of a wine tasting to the heart-pounding rush of overcaffeination. Coffee “cupping” is the practice of appreciating the taste, smell, and mouthfeel of various brews.

With the economy still running down, dining in is the date du jour. Let's face it, though: sometimes cooking a meal from scratch is about as appealing as watching your account balances nosedive. Thankfully, there’s hope for those of us who aren’t used to expending more energy on dinner than it takes to dial takeout. With quick kitchen cheats and just a few ingredients, you can elevate the homely frozen, boxed, or bagged dinner into haute cuisine. Or at least a meal you’re not embarrassed to serve to guests. (Just remember to recycle the packaging -- hide the evidence!) After all, if Chat 'n Chew can charge New York prices for your mother’s standby dishes, you can get away with presenting glorified dorm food to your dinner party. Some of my guest-tested favorites follow.