Pasta recipes

Vegetable miso soup brightened with sweet green peas, scallion, jalapeño, garlic, and dulse seaweed. A fresh, 30-minute twist on the classic Japanese starter.

Pureed mushroom vegetable soup with a full pound of fresh mushrooms, carrots, celery, and beef stock, finished with sauteed mushroom slices and dry sherry.

Sybil Carter's homemade barbecue sauce starts with bacon drippings and builds layers of tangy tomato, brown sugar sweetness, mustard bite, and hot pepper heat. Doubles easily and keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and red bell pepper simmered in a spicy Thai chili paste and rice milk sauce with fresh basil. A hearty vegan stew for rice or grilled polenta.

Spicy cranberry chile chutney with jalapeño, Thai chili paste, and hot sauce simmered with fresh and dried cranberries. Medium heat, sweet-tart-spicy balance. Killer on meat or sandwiches.

Perfumed wtih Benali 5-spice (panch puran), this tasty melange of vegetables is wonderful with basmati rice.

Grilled sea bass over citrus couscous with a reduced orange-onion sauce, coriander and a hit of Tabasco. Bright Mediterranean-style seafood dinner.

Texas-style all-beef chili with cubed chuck, beer, toasted cumin seeds, and no beans. Simmered low for 90 minutes and thickened with masa harina the authentic way.

Phanang curry paste pounded from dried red chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, cumin, and shrimp paste. An authentic Thai curry paste made from scratch.

Thai red or green curry paste: a homemade aromatic blend of chilies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, shrimp paste, ginger, and coriander. The from-scratch base for authentic Thai curries.

Shepherd's pie meets chili night! Ground chicken breast simmered with crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, topped with whipped potatoes and baked until golden. A Tex-Mex twist on a classic.

Corn on the cob drenched in a from-scratch British barbecue sauce with malt vinegar, Worcestershire, ginger, green chili, and a splash of dry sherry. Tangy, smoky, and utterly different.

Unsloppy Joes are vegetarian sloppy joes with kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and diced vegetables served in hollowed-out kaiser rolls. Low-fat, hearty, and mess-free.

Sai Grog: ground pork mixed with red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, and fish sauce, grilled in natural casings. Authentic Thai spicy sausage in 40 minutes.

Roasted eggplant tahini pate with garam masala, shallots, garlic, and lemon. A creamy, smoky spread served with pita bread. Vegan and naturally gluten-free.

Black bean and corn stew with cumin, chili powder, sherry, cilantro, and honey. One cup pureed back in for a thick, creamy base. Vegan, high-fiber, and ready in an hour.