Dried tomato crostini with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, balsamic vinegar, and garlic on toasted baguette. An Italian bruschetta-style appetizer with optional melted cheese.
Vegetarian dhansak with mixed legumes, vegetables, garam masala, turmeric, and green chili cooked in ghee. A hearty Parsi-inspired Indian lentil stew with fresh cilantro.
Jerked pork tenderloin seared then stacked on rice with sautéed portabello mushrooms, all drenched in a spiced cream sauce with allspice, coriander, and Worcestershire. Caribbean heat meets French technique on one plate.
Navy beans and lots of vegetables are simmered in juicy tomato sauce, then topped with bread crumbs and baked in the oven. A delicious vegetarian main dish.
Chili-rubbed sirloin steak: a quick four-ingredient weeknight dinner ready in 15 minutes. Garlic and chili powder pressed into the meat form a bold dry crust under high heat, sliced and served with cool salsa.
Roasted prawns with spinach mashed potatoes and roasted red pepper cream: Emeril-style plated dinner with seared shrimp, emerald green mash, and a silky pepper sauce pool.
Nam prik pow (Thai chili jam) made from fried dried chilis, garlic, and shallots pounded into a thick, dark, sweet-salty-spicy paste. An essential Thai condiment for tom yum, stir-fries, and fried rice.
Beans for burritos slow-cooks pink beans with onion, garlic, and chili powder in the crockpot, then mashes with green chiles and salsa for the perfect refried-style burrito filling.
Thai stir-fried rice noodles with pork, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, and a tangy fish sauce-lime-ketchup glaze, topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro.
Green broccoli is full of garlic flavor, with some savory and fresh anchovies, delicious.
Gazpacho relish for hot dogs: chopped tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, and garlic in a sweet-tangy red wine vinaigrette. Cookout topping that beats anything from a jar.
Use fresh rosemary, if possible (many supermarkets carry it). The flavor it imparts to the lamb will be far superior to that of dried. If you like, white potatoes may be substituted for the sweet potatoes, and turnips for the parsnips. You can also flavor lamb by covering it with lemon slices before roasting.
Salmon and basil ravioli: homemade basil-flecked pasta dough filled with canned salmon and curd cheese, poached in fish stock and served with a fresh tomato-pesto sauce.
Picadillo ground beef simmered with olives, capers, raisins, tomatoes, cumin, and allspice over rice. A classic Latin American comfort dish with sweet-savory depth.
Easy refried beans made with canned pintos, bacon drippings, garlic, and onion. Mashed in the skillet for a quick, smoky side dish ready in 20 minutes.
Eugenia's legendary 27-ingredient chili with chopped sirloin, sausage, pinto beans, mushrooms, olives, and orange zest. A kitchen-sink chili that freezes beautifully.