This is Paula Wolfert's original recipe from her 1973 book "Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco," but I leave out the warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom so that the flavors are adaptable. The...
A few tablespoons of this mustard may be whisked into homemade mayonnaise and served with anything poached. It also is a tasty addition to a vinaigrette dressing.
At once musky and sweet, with a pronounced kick, five spice is traditionally made from equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and peppercorns (usually Sichuan or white). This one, adapted...
Ellen Greenblatt, a friend who lives in Berkeley, Calif., shared this recipe with me. Toss a green salad with this dressing, and no additional herbs will be necessary. It is perfect for chicken salad or...
Sofrito - a blend of garlic, onions, peppers and recao (culantro) - is the backbone of Puerto Rican flavor. Also referred to as recaito, it's typically sautéed in oil as the foundation for sauces, braises,...
Years ago, David Chang of Momofuku showed me how to create a fantastic compound butter with miso. Use it melted on fish, chicken or steak (lots of umami); on asparagus, broccoli or carrots; or drizzled...
Classic bordelaise sauce, which can transform shoe leather into strip steak, is made with veal stock, demi-glace and time -- a lot of time. Here, though, you'll use pan drippings from pork chops, simmering...
In Arabic, the term "baharat" simply means "spices" and can refer to any number of different blends, each tailored to a specific dish or ingredients. This all-purpose blend, adapted from Freda Nokaly and...
This is a 13th-century haroseth recipe from Provence, using the Mediterranean fruits and nuts that are still available in the region. Back then, Jewish families would have saved chestnuts from the fall...
Tomatillos, which are closer botanically to the gooseberry than to the tomato, have a wonderful acidic tang. To get the best out of them they should be simmered or grilled for about 10 minutes, until they're...
Ssamjang, meaning "sauce for wraps" in Korean, has a wonderful combination of sweet, spicy and salty elements. It's like American barbecue sauce, which makes sense, as it's often used with grilled Korean...
A rub is a dry spice or spice and herb mixture used to coat the meat before grilling, adding not only strong flavor but a bit more crunch, especially if you toast, mix and grind the spices yourself.
Here is a surprising, and quick, way to use up the green tomatoes that you couldn't resist at the farmers' market. Tangier, more complex and looser than most marmalades, this one offers candied slivers...
Homemade mustard is better than its supermarket counterpart, and it's stupendously easy to make. Here, the combination of yellow and brown seeds makes for a medium-aggressive kick, but you could use all...
In India, just about every home has its own recipe for garam masala, which is the most common spice blend in the country and a cornerstone of the cuisines of South Asia. This recipe, which is sweeter and...
This fragrant baking blend splits the difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice, adding a bit of white pepper for some gentle heat, and cardamom for its deep, bright perfume. You can use...
This recipe is adapted from one by Sir Kensington's, the condiment company in New York that uses chickpea liquid, or aquafaba, to make its vegan mayonnaise. Vegans have embraced the liquid, which whips...
This easy-to-make cumin-flavored salt is traditionally served with Moroccan roast lamb, but it's good on just about everything, even fried eggs. It tastes best freshly made, but will keep for about a month...
This easy compound butter brings the brawny flavors of Worcestershire sauce, thyme and garlic to just about anything. Use it on steak, chicken, grilled corn on the cob or French bread - whatever you think...
This spicy oil with an African name is popular throughout Provence. It's usually on the table in pizzerias for drizzling, but it's also terrific drizzled over vegetables, grilled meats or fish, grains...