Brisket with peppercorns marinated 24 hours in soy sauce, crusted with cracked black pepper, broiled until charred, then roasted to medium rare. Served thinly sliced at room temperature.
Waldorf chicken salad with poached chicken breast, crisp red apples, toasted pecans, and a tangy yogurt-mustard dressing. A lighter take on the classic with three built-in variations.
Goan-style chicken with dry-roasted spices, toasted fresh coconut, and a garlic-ginger-chili paste. An aromatic, no-cream Indian curry with deep, layered spice flavors.
Marinated spiced olives with lemon, garlic, dried chilies, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and allspice in olive oil. A no-cook appetizer that improves over a week of marinating.
Unlike meat stock, vegetable stock doesn't benefit from hours of cooking. After about 40 minutes of simmering, the vegetables have yielded all of their flavor.
Garlic marinated olives with lemon, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and sherry. A make-ahead antipasto jar that gets better every day in the fridge.
Shrimp curry made with freshly ground whole spices, tomato, ginger, and finished with lime juice. A South Indian-style shrimp curry served with rice and mango chutney.
A little of this warm, spicy blend goes a long way. Coming from North India, where meat is eaten more frequently than in the South, it is the kind of masala that's popular as an accompaniment for almost any meat dish, as a condiment or in the sauce.
Shahi dal is a royal Indian lentil dish with pigeon peas simmered in whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, then finished with a ghee-fried onion tadka. Vegetarian comfort food served over rice.
Sauteed fresh morel mushrooms with Granny Smith apples, asparagus tips, and butter noodles flambed with Calvados. A spring-foraged dish with chipotle heat and watercress garnish.
I sauteed the shrimp with the spices and it turned out wonderful.Really a big hit!
A hearty, full-scale borsch loaded with beef, bacon, kielbasa, beets, cabbage, potatoes, and navy beans. This is the real deal: slow-simmered, sweet-sour balanced, and crowned with sour cream. Feeds 10.
Chicago Italian beef sandwiches with thinly sliced roast beef simmered in herbed gravy and piled on Italian bread. Dipped wet, topped with peppers and giardiniera.
Crab, shrimp, fish, and squid braised in a clay pot with ginger, coriander root, mung bean noodles, and fresh basil in a soy-oyster sauce. A spectacular Thai seafood feast for four.
Russian-style boiled beef simmered low and slow with marrow bones, root vegetables, dill, and a spice bag. Fork-tender rump roast in a rich, fragrant broth that serves 10.
A basic stock made from poultry (usually chicken) that you can freeze and use instead of store bought.