Food Processor
Fish Fillets in Mole Verde
Here, tomatillos become a brilliant green sauce for baked fish.
Salsa Verde
Serve cooled, leftover salsa with chips.
Potato Cake with Onion
Rösti
In Zurich, a German-speaking city, practically every bar and beer hall Garnishes its big plates of meat with this kind of hash brown cake; it might be "cheese" or "onion" or "plain" Rösti, but you'll always be happy to see it. Refrigerating the whole baked potatoes overnight makes them much easier to grate.
Almond Macaroons with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
All over Switzerland, tiny macaroons in every color and flavor fill the bakery windows, like rows and rows of candy dots. Almond is one of the classic flavors of these sandwich cookies — and it's particularly nice with the poached apricots and zabaglione.
Cashew Cookies
Cornstarch is one of the secret ingredients behind this traditional crumbly Brazilian cookie. Ground cashews are the other, contributing their distinct brand of richness and nutty sweetness.
Fig and Sesame Tart with Cardamom Orange Cream
Dried fruits and nuts are common in Moroccan pastries, but this tart is something special — the richness of the dough and the pop of the sesame seeds bring out that honeyed quality you normally associate with fresh figs. The cardamom cream is whisper-light, and the fresh orange segments are refreshingly cool.
Fiery Harissa
It's worth doctoring the harissa you buy in a tube or can, which we consider more of a base than a finished product. The result here, used as a condiment for the couscous and a marinade for the lamb, is definitely more intense, and a little goes a long way.
Singapore "Carrot Cake"
Once a favorite breakfast of the Chinese, this dish might more accurately be called a daikon scramble. But the Chinese words for carrot and daikon are almost the same, and "cake" refers to the way the rice flour binds the ingredients.
Grilled Pita with Greek Salad
Contrasting textures — crunchy salad and creamy chickpeas spread over freshly grilled pita — make this vegetarian meal something truly special.
Purple and Yellow Cows
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from A Passion for Ice Cream by Emily Luchetti, Executive Pastry Chef at Farallon Restaurant in San Francisco.
The black cow, also known as a root beer float, is simply a catchy name for a classic treat. This purple and yellow cow builds on the original idea but uses pineapple juice and cassis-berry sherbet. The addition of shaved ice makes it very refreshing. It is as good as the original, but has a more vivid presentation and sophisticated taste.
Lime and Lemon Friands
These tasty little tea cakes are a perfect match for the Lime and Lemon Posset.
Vanilla Sugar
Use vanilla sugar to make Bittersweet Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake and Hazelnut Gâteau Breton.
Ouzo-Scented Almond, Yogurt, and Olive Oil Cake
Serve this cake with a dollop of Greek yogurt and quince paste.
Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken Wings
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Rogers' Kingsford Complete Grilling Cookbook.
Serve these mouthwatering wings to close friends who don't mind licking their fingers in public. The wings sport at least four layers of flavor—the chicken itself, a zesty spice rub, a fruity-savory glaze, and smokiness from the grill.
Cold Cucumber Sauce
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jasper White's The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, go to Summer Cooking Guides.
This is one of my favorite sauces for grilled seafood, especially swordfish. It is also terrific with salmon, striped bass, halibut, tautog, and other white-fleshed fish suitable for grilling. Think of this recipe as a formula. The ratio of cucumber to the other ingredients is important, but from there you can adapt this sauce to match with different fish or even side dishes. For example, with a Latino or Caribbean dish like Black Beans and Rice, you could substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice and add chiles and cilantro. This recipe uses half yogurt and half sour cream, but you could use any combination of the two. Or, for salmon, you might want to use all sour cream, with dill. You could also make a low-calorie sauce using all low-fat yogurt. The first time you make the sauce, if you follow my guidelines but omit the jalapeño and use parsley and chives for the herbs, you will have a basic sauce. After that, you are on your own. The list of possible variations is extensive.
For equipment, you will need a stainless steel (or plastic) strainer.
Chocolate-Caramel Slice
A buttery crust is topped with caramel, then a layer of chocolate ganache. The recipe is Granger's take on a traditional Australian dessert. "I used to buy a version of this at school fairs," he says.
Red Pepper, Cilantro, Walnut, and Jalapeño Relish
Serve alongside the seafood. Leftovers would be great with chicken or lamb.