Herbs & Spices

PAT Let’s see . . . the cocktail queen has delivered something frothy, minty-fresh, cool, and spiked with bourbon (I like Jack Daniel’s). Do I need to sell this any harder than that? Forget the Derby and those silly hats—cool down and get down for Memphis in May!

This “house wine of the South” is literally drunk by the gallon during the spring and summer months here in Memphis. We add mint and simple syrup to ours, to give it the right amount of flavor and sweetness. It’s a refreshing “knock-back,” and can also be used as a mix for a cocktail (add a little rum or vodka).

Remember to start with fresh spices for that sweet, savory, and spicy balance.

We grill anything, and potatoes are no exception. The simplest way to grill sliced potatoes is to parboil them first. This makes for fast and even grilling. The calling card of these tasty taters is the appetizing grill marks that make them irresistible. That, and our house seasoning, when Neely’s barbecue rub makes its annual spring debut.

GINA Now, you guys know I am married to the “grill master”—and yet we never seem to think of grilling lamb! Adding the mint vinaigrette pulls the whole thing together in the best possible way: the piquant flavor of the vinaigrette contrasts perfectly with the earthy smoked lamb. It’s a grilled twist on a classic Easter dish. PAT Y’all know how I feel about my grill. She loves it when I bring her different types of meats so we can cook them to perfection. Letting these beautiful cuts of lamb soak in the marinade overnight ensures a delicious flavor, and once Gina adds her outstanding mint vinaigrette, there is nothing else for these babies to do but make it to your plate.

PAT Gina will mix up a batch of this for me to serve our guests, and if I’m lucky she’ll make enough for me, too. It’s good.

PAT If you’re going to eat popcorn, eat it Memphis-style. In Memphis, everything is about the marriage of smoke, pepper, and barbecue, and we love adding those elements to every dish we can (including popcorn). Our version features smoked paprika, garlic powder, sugar, and cayenne pepper, and is unlike any popcorn you’ve ever had. If some of your guests prefer popcorn with less “pop,” eliminate the cayenne. If some prefer more “pop,” you can sprinkle your favorite hot sauce over their batch. Either way, they’ll be back for more.

GINA The Cubans had the right idea when they invented the classic mojito: it really is a perfect cocktail (not too sweet, not too sour). Another great thing about mojitos is that you can add almost any flavor to them and they taste amazing. I was experimenting with mojitos, creating a brown-sugar one, and I thought, why not blackberries? I’ve always been a fan of blackberries: I even like to eat them frozen right out of the freezer. (I do the same thing with grapes.) The infusion of mint and basil gives this version an herbal freshness, and the agave nectar is a gentle, natural sweetener that dissolves quickly. Of course, you can leave out the rum and just pour some soda water on top of the berries, but why would you? Either way, the drink is a beautiful spring color, and spring is my favorite season, when everything is blooming, and life’s possibilities seem endless.

GINA My attraction to mangoes was confirmed on a trip Pat and I took to Mexico. The velvety fruit tastes like an exotic mix of pineapples and peaches, and the flavor just explodes in your mouth. In creating this salsa, I stuck with Mexican tradition and added fresh cilantro, which you can chop or tear apart. Cilantro also offers a health benefit by soothing the digestive system. So, little do the guys know, I’m taking care of their stomachs as well as their appetite! (Ladies, y’all can thank me later.) Mind you, I was a little skeptical about whether they’d go for it, so I deep-fried the tortilla chips, so they’d have something familiar to dip.

PAT In our house there’s always some barbecue going on (even if we’re not grilling, we’re adding the spice). These chips are dusted with paprika, garlic, sugar, and salt, and once they’re out of the fryer, they quickly disappear (so make two batches!).

PAT Gina’s told me before, “If you like the kickoff, then you’re going to love these poppers!” They have the perfect amount of kick to them. Between the smokiness of the paprika and the heat of the cayenne pepper, take one bite and the game is on! We remove the jalapeño seeds so that the poppers aren’t too hot, but leave them in if you like really spicy. After all, I am a hot man, and I mean that both palate-wise and physical-wise (and, as you can tell, I’m very, very humble). Jalapeños are a vegetable that you can get seriously creative with: filling them up with cheese, using buttermilk in a batter, and deep-frying these little puppies makes one of the best appetizers you can imagine.

This kicky sauce is matched in flavor by its dramatic green color. Bright with parsley and with deep notes from the anchovy, salsa verde makes plain grilled fish or meat into something you want to serve to company, and it adds an herby note to rich organ meats or tongue. Try adding a spoonful to soups or tossing with plain boiled potatoes.

If you master any one recipe in this book, this should be it. Not only does a bright, fresh tomato sauce turn any freshly made pasta into an event, but it’s also an indispensable component in dishes from basic ragus to Maloreddus with Squid, Tomato Sauce, and Lemon (page 97) and Linguine with Shrimp (page 90). Part of the fun of making your own sauce is squishing the whole tomatoes—and they must be San Marzanos—with your fingers. It can get messy, especially for those of us who wear glasses, but it’s worth it (and a good stress-reduction technique, to boot). Find an apron and get ready for a simple, well-balanced sauce that you’ll always want to have on hand. And when you can have this sauce ready in under an hour, why ever open a jar again?

Cardamom is used everywhere from India to Scandinavia, and I love what the fragrant spice does for these classic French shortbread cookies. Though not traditional, the addition of cornstarch guarantees the delicate, crumbly texture for which the cookies are named (sablé translates as “sand”). Because sablés need time to chill before being baked, they make wonderful icebox cookies and are easy to keep in the fridge or the freezer and you can slice and bake as needed. They make an easy but distinctive finish to a meal, and are a nice accessory for a lonely scoop of ice cream or sorbet. If you like, instead of forming the dough into logs, roll out the dough after chilling and cut out rounds, then baked as directed. Cardamom loses its fragrance quickly, so make sure your ground cardamom is fresh.

Although I’ve outed myself as someone who often prefers savory to sweet, even after dinner, I’ve found the perfect compromise that is sure to keep everyone happy. This is one of my favorite summer desserts, for those long, hot nights when you crave something lighter as a finish to your meal. This sorbet is just the ticket; make it when the blueberries are fat and sweet and fresh basil is everywhere you look.

I can’t decide whether I love the color—a pale celadon—or the exotic flavor of this ice cream more. The pear causes the base to have a thinner consistency than some other ice creams have before freezing, but the final texture is lovely. It’s hard to peg the flavor as star anise in the ice cream, because the spice mellows with the cold and the cream, but it’s addictive. This isn’t a scoop-in-a-cone kind of dessert, but an elegant cookie on the side would be nice.

There are fruit people, and there are chocolate people. Even chocolate people will lick their plates clean when presented with a refreshing, lemony panna cotta strewn with wine-steeped peaches. Panna cotta makes a nice spring and summertime dessert because it’s not so rich that you leave the table feeling stuffed, and the lemon verbena adds a welcome, herbaceous tang. This dish is perfect for company because the panna cotta must be made ahead, and the peaches “cook” while coming to room temperature.