Herbs & Spices

Cooking the potatoes on a wire rack lets hot air circulate around them, so they get extra crisp.

Think of the crunchy, granolaish sesame clusters as seedy croutons for this juicy and bracing salad.

Tex-Mex ingredients like Monterey Jack, cilantro, corn and lime combine with rice to create an awesome salad. Wrap it in lettuce for a cool, crunchy and fun meal.

Writer Peter Jon Lindberg's Swedish grandmother Alice Lindberg made these cookies each Christmas. The recipe makes about 9 dozen cookies, making it great for holiday parties and edible gifts.

Flavor Profile: Spicy, tart, aromatic, salty, umami-rich Try it with: Any Som Tam (Papaya salad and family) and/or Phat Khanaeng (Stir-fried Brussels sprouts). Needs Khao Niaw (Sticky rice). The recipe for steak salad is a classic, but naam tok made with mushrooms is less common. Yet mushrooms are everywhere in Thailand and echo the texture and even the umami-rich flavor of animal flesh. Thailand has a long history of vegetarian food, for strict Buddhists and those celebrating Buddhist holidays. And while I rarely spend time considering the needs of vegetarians, I figured that if I swapped out the fish sauce in the original for thin soy sauce, then they'd have something to eat at Pok Pok.

Cabeza—or beef cheek—tacos are some of the best things this planet has to offer as food. I ate so many of these and other tacos growing up in both L.A. and Orange County that it became part of me and, in a way, prepared me to cook my own tacos. Splash some salsa verde on there, and that's it: SoCal, and especially L.A., on a plate.

Most gluten-free flour mixes rely on rice flour or cornstarch, which can create a gummy texture. But the main ingredient in Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour is garbanzo flour. The muffins we made with it had the best flavor, texture, and color out of all the brands we tried.

Get the pan smoking hot so the fish won't stick. Let it get a good sear on the first side, which will also help it release.

It might look like a lot when the greens are raw, but add them all anyway. They'll quickly wilt down to a silky texture.

If you think mackerel is too fishy, this is the recipe that will change your mind. The fish's assertive, slightly oily character is tempered by the brightness of lemon juice and creamy richness of yogurt.

This deceptively simple condiment is as addictive as pesto and as transformative as a squeeze of lemon. Spoon it onto fish, chicken, steak, roasted vegetables, or even pasta.

Rubbing the marinade onto only the flesh side puts it in direct contact with the meat and lets the skin get extra-crisp with no fear of burned bits.

Make extra grains on Sunday and use them for this lightning-quick weeknight dinner.

If the vibrancy of this dressing fades, perk it back up with more lime juice.

If you leave this on the thicker side, it's a great crudités dip. Or, thin it and pour onto salad.

This dressing is a little sweet from the miso and pear, and aromatic from the ginger and lime; pair it with something peppery, like radishes for dipping or a watercress salad.

To faithfully re-create this cocktail, do as Nostrana does and seek out blue plum brandy from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery.

My elementary school grapefruit, all grown up. I like the low notes of the dried chiles and rosemary against the sweet-tart citrus.