Meal Prep

Tomato Water

Though this pale-orange liquid may not look terribly impressive, its flavor is the very essence of tomato. In addition to using it as a base for soup, we treat it almost like lemon juice, adding a dash here and there to any of our summer recipes that call for a little extra zest.

Kansas City Steak Sauce

An easy homemade barbecue sauce makes anything you grill taste even better! Makes lots since it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

Japanese Soup Stock

Dashi Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 30 min Elizabeth Andoh's recipe for dashi provides more than you'll need for the dipping sauce but just enough extra for two nice bowls of miso soup: Heat up the stock and stir in a couple of tablespoons of miso, a handful of diced tofu, and a sprinkling of sliced scallion.

Ancho-Guajillo Chile Sauce

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="108054">Chicken, Potato, and Carrot Enchiladas</epi:recipelink>.

To Trim Artichokes into Bottoms, Italian-Style

Tuna Steak Marchand de Vin

Tuna is delicious when it is cooked like steak with a reduced wine gravy made in the pan. Add any fresh herbs you have on hand — chives, tarragon, basil, parsley, oregano. Here the steaks are accompanied by fragrant thyme-scented white beans. Wine for Cooking and to Drink This is a household dish, or more precisely a wine merchant's dish, hence the title. An obvious choice would be a California merlot, but if you are feeling more experimental, a red wine from a less familiar source like Connecticut, North Carolina, or Texas could also work well. Two such wines made from French-American hybrid grapes that would suit this dish and are worth a try are Chambourcin and Maréchal Foch.

Roasted Celery Root, Red Onions, Mushrooms, and Sage

Olive Focaccia Dough

This recipe was created to prepare <epi:recipeLink ="14257">Miniature Olive Focaccias with Marinated Peppers</epi:recipeLink>.

Port-Currant Sauce

Spicy Lemon and Paprika Aïoli

This recipe is an accompaniment for Tunisian Fish Cakes with Spicy Lemon and Paprika Aioli .

Wild Mushroom Crostini

Roasted Bell Pepper Salad with Pine Nuts

Old-Fashioned Mincemeat Sauce

Serve this quick and easy sauce warm over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Crème Fraîche

This recipe produces a crème fraîche reminiscent of the enchanting varieties found in France. Crème fraîche is wonderful just as it is to adorn a pie or pastry, but it also can be lightly sweetened and whipped while still maintaining its mild tang. Any left over is great for finishing savory sauces because, unlike sour cream, it does not curdle with heat.

Orange Shallot Mayonnaise

Spread on a roast pork or turkey sandwich, or use as a dip for grilled shrimp or as a dressing for a fruit salad.

Opal-Basil Cinnamon Vinegar

Flavored vinegars can be used to enliven dressings and marinades, finish pan sauces, or pickle vegetables--and they make wonderful gifts. Once the steeping is completed, these vinegars keep for several months. (Garnishes and other solids left in the jar, however, may discolor or break down.)