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Kind of like mac ‘n’ cheese, but with cauliflower instead of noodles. This would be a good dish to make after entertaining and finding you have a bunch of small bits of cheese. Cheddar and Gruyere are used here for depth of flavor, but other Swiss and Cheddar types would work as well.

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This is a versatile dressing that is good on the Arugula Cherry salad it was meant for, but it works on roast chicken or duck, charred hanging tender steak, pork chops or roasts, even with grilled salmon or swordfish. The cherry syrup is a tart or sour cherry syrup produced in Eastern Europe and is used for drinks (sodas and cocktail), but has plenty of other applications as well.

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This butter will have a light anise/licorice/tarragon flavor to it, and is good for poultry, light meats, fish and seafood, and vegetables. It is perfect for adding to a pan of mussels or shrimp at the end, or slipping frozen slices under the skin of a chicken to be roasted. You can use this butter to make a “buerre blanc” – a sauce of shallots, wine or vinegar, and bits of cold vinegar swirled into a pan to form an emulsification.

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A light and satisfying dish that goes well with lighter flavored proteins, or pairs well with beans and light grains such as rice or quinoa.

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With the fennel and olives, this dish says southern France to me. The sauce for this dish is fragrant and it’s good to have something like rice, noodles, or some chewy bread to soak it up.

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Although a whole head of garlic seems like a lot, the roast really mitigates the heat and gives a warm creamy garlicky flavor which is offset by the acid in the tomatoes.

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This is a quick and simple dish that is all about the balance between the spiciness, the basil flavor, and the background of sweetness and umami notes. You can make it more or less spicy by changing the number of chilis, but there should always be a balance of flavor. There are many versions of this dish; this one is a distillation of time spent working in a Thai restaurant and many recipes. With or without the optional ingredients, the dish is still good. The optional kecap manis add depth of flavor and authenticity.

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While chicken teriyaki applies to any cut of chicken cooked with the sauce, yakitori refers specifically to small bits of chicken that have been threaded onto skewers and grilled. Typically there are pieces of scallion as well, and chicken liver skewers would come with on a separate skewer. The sansho mentioned as garnish is worth seeking out. It has a lovely bright citrusy flavor with a scent to match. It is a perfect foil to soy based sauces, and is great on omelets and grilled fish.

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Have this for breakfast or dinner. Substance, flavor, and color are all here. Enrich the dish with a poached or fried egg, top with béchamel or a Hollandaise or Maltaise sauce*.

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Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, ceci, and are a close relative to the Indian chana dal. This dish is a Moroccan tagine, but can fill in for an Indian dish in a pinch.

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This takes its inspiration from the “salads” of Morocco. There, vegetables are mixed, cooked or not, and then dressed and served at various temperatures and called “salads”, although they are not what most Americans think of when they hear “salad”. (“Hey! Where’s the lettuce?”) I love this for the colors as well as the flavor and textures. You’ll want your fixed blade slicer for this…

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This dressing goes with a salad of strawberries, lettuce, and pepitas, as well as with a dice of corn, red onion, bell peppers, and cilantro. Sauté it or use raw and dress with this vinaigrette. Use this vinaigrette to dress fish tacos or pulled pork sandwiches. Although the roasted garlic is an extra step, the flavor really is subtler than raw garlic, and the roasted garlic adds a creamy texture to the dressing.

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Unless you have home made tomato sauce, canned tomatoes work best here, especially if you have good Italian San Marzanos. Otherwise, just use your favorite. Be sure to use a really big pan for sautéing the squash, or do it in batches. If the squash is crowded it will steam and just get mushy.

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A quick and easy dish that is good to prepare when roasting something else already, this method brings out sweetness and a nutty flavor from the squash. Vary the seasonings based on what you are serving this with.

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Chunky Zucchini Potato Braise

I saw something similar to this and the idea intrigued me. I love chunky vegetable braises where I treat the vegetables like meat, browning them and then cooking them in a modicum of liquid. This recipe lists zucchini, but you can use other summer squash just as easily. Just remember to cut them into asymmetric sizes. Use a roll cut for long squash, and for things like Pattypan just cut them into wedges. For the “roll cut”, trim the squash, then make a cut at a 45° angle relative to the edge of the cutting board. Roll the squash a quarter turn and cut again, about 1 to 1½ inches between each cut. This gives an interesting shape that is uniform, but won’t stack up and leave uncooked surfaces.

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This dressing is for a beet and kale salad with apples added to it. The cream is to add body and some richness to offset the earthy and tart elements of the dressing.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch Tokyo turnips*, washed well and cut into ½-inch wedges
2-3 firm apples, sweet-tart, cut into ½-inch wedges, seeds removed
1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ cup apple cider
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

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This is a mix of herbs, alliums, and citrus inspired by the classic Italian “salsa verde” made of lemon zest, capers, herbs, and garlic-at the very least-and is used in the same way. Top fish, chicken, meat, or tofu with it, use as a marinade for tofu, or use as a dip. It is really good with hot or cold shrimp. Whatever you do with it, use a sharp knife when making it. You want to cut the ingredients, not mash them. This way the individual flavors are bright and stand out, instead of everything forming a muddy mélange over-ridden with onion and garlic.

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This is a simple variation on basic braised chicken. By changing the herbs and spices and some of the aromatics, you can take this dish from Mexico and the American South West to the Middle East or even South East Asia. Typically, braised chicken would be sautéed first to brown, and then liquid is added, the pot is covered and then cooked in the oven until done. This is the method I learned at Chez Panisse and is so simple. Simmer the chicken covered, skin down in liquid, and after 30 minutes, turn the chicken so the skin is above the surface of the liquid and cooked, uncovered, until browned on top (around 15 minutes) and serve. This recipe is made with legs because that is what was used, but you can use any parts you want with fine results. If you used all wings, though, you might wish to cut back the time to keep the meat from falling off the bone. Although the recipe seems long, it is not really. It also gives you meat and veg in one dish and can be assembled and cooked in about an hour. Excellent when cooked a day ahead and re-heated.

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This condiment is like a cross between a pesto and a dressing. It was made to go with roasted slabs of cauliflower will work with meaty fish and chicken as well. Tweaking the spices, like adding a little cumin and turmeric will take this to the middle-east or North Africa. Add more cumin and some green chilies and you have a good match with South West or Mexican cuisine. Add some radish dice and lime juice and this would be perfect for tacos.

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This is based on something we used at India Joze long ago, and has its roots in South East Asian cuisine. It is quick to make and keeps a few days in the refrigerator. Use a splash as a condiment for vegetables, eggs, or noodles, or use it when sautéing/stir-frying for flavor and to lubricate the pan.

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This dressing goes well with roasted winter squash, chicken, or shrimp.

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INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3rd cup cilantro stems, chopped
½ teaspoon coriander seed, powdered
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, powdered

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This is my version of a classic Portuguese soup winemaker and friend Jeff Emery told me about having in Portugal. This is one of those dishes that arose from a very poor culture, making the most out of what was available, such as garlic, eggs, and stale bread. This version is gussied up a bit in that the stock is infused with additional garlic and the stems of the cilantro to really up the flavor. Try this with a Portuguese style wine from Jeff’s Quinta Cruz label for Lisbon vacation on the cheap.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut “roll cut” (cut at 45° angle, then roll carrot a quarter-turn and cut again)
¼ small white onion, minced
½ tablespoon sugar
½ bunch cilantro, stems separated from leaves, reserved
1 clove garlic, peeled and cracked

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This dressing was made to go with a salad of Little Gems and Oakleaf lettuces and Quickled Leeks, but would be good with a cabbage salad with peanuts and shrimp, or on grilled chicken or pork chops. This would be good in a shrimp cocktail with avocado as well.

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Another “cool” and fragrant dressing. Try it with a salad of romaine and blanched turnips. It also goes with grilled fish and shrimp, and would be a good dip for grilled chicken or lamb kebabs. It is also an excellent accompaniment to summer squash, whether raw or cooked.

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This oil could be used for topping fish and chicken, or as part of a “de-constructed” salsa. It is also a nice way to make simple dishes such as grilled or sautéed summer squash into something elegant. Cilantro oil is not something that will keep for more than a few days, so don’t make vast quantities, and keep it in the refrigerator when not in use. You could freeze some of it and that will delay the break down somewhat.

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These beets are part of a salad, but are great on their own as a side. The vinegar used for marinating the beets is also used as the base for the salad dressing. If making the dressing to go with the beets, double the amount of cilantro and vinegar and save half for the salad dressing.

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This is for a salad of cilantro infused roasted beets with lettuce, but will work on things like shrimp salad, chicken (hot or cold), or shredded cabbage and/or jicama.

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