Gluten Free

This dish is inspired by a recipe from Claudia Roden's classic book, Tamarind and Saffron (Viking, 1999). It is one of our favorites: it is easy to make, yet looks stunning, and has the most delicate and fragrant combination of flavors (rose water, saffron, and cinnamon), which takes you straight to the famous Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech. Serve with rice or plain couscous.

Labneh is an Arab cheese made by draining yogurt so it loses most of its liquid. Use natural goat's milk yogurt, or, if unavailable, natural full-fat cow's milk yogurt, but not the Greek varieties. This recipe takes at least 48 hours to make. If this is all too much, you can buy labneh from Middle Eastern grocery stores. Store the labneh in the fridge to use as a spread, like any cream cheese. A more labor-intensive option is to roll it into balls and then preserve them in a jar of oil. The jar will look beautiful, the cheese keeps for weeks at room temperature, and the balls will create a special visual effect when used, as they are, in salads and legume dishes (Couscous and Mograbiah with Oven-Dried Tomatoes ).

Yuca Bread with Queso Fresco The ratio of flour to cheese seems crazy, but it works. Serve the bread hot (for a spongy texture) or warm (for a denser interior with the dough settling more and forming air pockets).

This Thai-inspired salad has that classic tart-sweet-spicy flavor balance that really gets your taste buds dancing. The cool, crunchy herb-laced salad is the yin to the yang of the rich tender beef. What’s more, the food processor does most of the work.

Chili is the perfect party food. Just keep a pot of it warm on the stove, put out the fixings, and let everyone help themselves.

The addition of avocado makes this cold soup creamier than your average gazpacho, and the greens make it, well, greener, and with jalapeño included, too, it's got a serious kick that makes it anything but traditional. It probably goes without saying, but if you serve this to Spaniards, either don't call it gazpacho or be prepared for some arguments at the table.

Eggplant can take its time getting tender in the oven, but it's worth it, especially for preparations like this, where za'atar, with its earthy flavor, and sweet-tart pomegranate molasses turn things toward the Middle East. You can find both in Middle Eastern markets; za'atar can be had at good spice stores such as Penzeys. Or substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or oregano, a squeeze of lemon, and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds.

This rich, subtly tangy cream spiked with almond essence gives ripe, sliced pears just the embellishment they need to go from fruit to fabulous.

Here, cauliflower lightens traditional mashed potatoes and blends in seamlessly. A touch of butter is all you need to make them rich and sumptuous. Steaming the vegetables instead of boiling them helps preserve their vitamin C.

Like the best dressings, this is good on so much more than greens: Drizzle it on roasted sweet potatoes, brush it onto broiled eggplant, or toss it with cold soba or udon noodles. Use it to marinate mushrooms before grilling them to make Juicy Bella . Look for miso paste in the refrigerated section of natural food stores and Asian markets. If you can find South River brand, made in Massachusetts, snap it up; it's the best I've tasted outside Japan.

September 7 marks the Feast of Saint Gratus of Aosta, the patron saint of the fear of insects. Among his many miracles, Saint Gratus is said to have aided farmers in the French Alps who vanquished a ravenous swarm of locusts by invoking his name. I chose that significant date to host a five-course bug banquet, a first-of-its-kind feast at Cafe Racer, a charmingly off-kilter drinking and dining establishment on the edge of Seattle's University District. Fifty people paid $20 each to attend this fete and to gorge themselves on Orthopteran Orzo, Locust Kabobs, a mealworm-filled Tenebrio Terrine, and a sumptuous Pear Salad dotted with Chiangbai Ants. Between courses, the café offered Bug Juice, a non-alcoholic drink, containing cochineal insect dye. The event was heralded with great enthusiasm by the Seattle media. Writing for the city's alternative newspaper The Stranger, Brendan Kiley urged the Cafe Racer team to consider hosting the bug feast more than once a year. He proposed several additional dates, each of them a feast day commemorating other holy men "who specialize in bugs&emdash;infestations of, fear of, and bites from": Saint Magnus of Füssene (patron of protection from caterpillars), Saint Narcissus (patron of protection from biting insects), Saint Mawes (patron of protection from all insects), and Saint Mark the Evangelist (patron of lawyers). Chinese ants from the Changbai region are sold commercially as a health supplement in Asia. They reputedly have health benefits, perhaps because of their proximity to the finest ginseng-growing region of China. So if you want to slow the aging process or (to quote the literature) "increase sexual vigor," then these ants are for you. When I wrote the first edition of this book, there was a local source of dried Chinese black ants in Los Angeles. However, that company no longer sells my ants of choice, opting to carry a line of healthful ant tinctures instead. As a result, I've had to look for overseas sources, which in my case means begging travelers to the East to bring me back a few vials of China's previous commodity in their luggage. WIthout further fanfare, here is the recipe for a tasty salad topped with dried black ants.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of FOX's MasterChef.

The Suffering Bastard is a 1940s tiki standby that was originally made with bourbon and gin as its base. This variation utilizes cask-strength True Blue corn whiskey from Balcones Distilling in Waco, with a nod to that city's famous teetotaling population.

This luscious three bean salad recipe combines GOYA® Red Kidney Beans, GOYA® Chick Peas, and GOYA® Blackeye Peas with crunchy fresh veggies, and a bright, lemony vinaigrette. You can be sure that this protein-packed, heart-healthy salad is just as nutritious as it is delicious!

For an easy, delicious taco night, try these Shredded Chicken Tacos. The chicken filling, also known as Tinga de Pollo in Mexico - especially the Puebla region - is made by slowly cooking chicken breasts a seasoned tomato sauce to make them super tender and extra tasty. Wrap the chicken tinga filling in warm corn tortillas and sprinkle on your favorite toppings for an easy, fun taco night.

They look fancy, but these bite-size cubes are simple. A melon baller keeps things neat, but a regular spoon works, too.

Some research suggests dark chocolate reduces cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods. But don't worry—the effects won't kick in until after you've cleaned your bowl.

Sweet fresh corn balances out peppery arugula. If you're short on time, canned or frozen (and thawed) corn will do the trick.

A combination of whipped cream and ice cream gives semifreddos a frozen mousselike silkiness. The rich chocolate sauce is just the icing on the sundae.