Simple Cooking

With Sahni's recipe you're only 45 minutes away from an outstanding chicken tikka masala. And by preparing it at home, you get the added bonus of a kitchen suffused with intoxicating aromas. If you prefer a spicier version of chicken tikka masala, Sahni recommends swapping out some or all of the paprika for cayenne.

Bluefish is remarkably delicious and versatile. It is wonderful on the grill, its fatty richness complemented by the flavor of wood smoke. That richness ("oiliness" to the minds of some) causes many people to shun bluefish and other similar ocean brethren. All I can say is, oh well, more for me. Here orange zest provides an acidic tang that helps to balance the flavors, and the slow, low heat of the smoldering wood cooks the fish without drying it out.

This is one of my pantry staples; you'll find it in many of the recipes throughout this book. It makes for a super-easy sauce on its own, or you can mix it with lemon juice or vinegar to create a great dressing in less than a minute. Whenever almonds are on sale at the local store, I grab a few bags and make big batches, freezing some for future use. Each time you use this oil, make sure to grab an even proportion of oil to almonds so that you don't end up with a lopsided ratio.

This is simply one of my favorite dishes, and it has a legendary place in the history of my marriage. My wife was not a fan of the vegetable—or of any vegetable. Fan might not be the right word. It's not that she just didn't like them; she actively campaigned against them, prosecuting them, all guilty as charged, although on scant evidence. It was this simple dish that got her to at least begin to consider laying down her sword. The crisp texture, the smoky, charred burn, the transparency of the whole process got her to let her guard down. And now it is a staple. So you might say that this recipe is a gateway vegetable. Other kale varieties are fine for this, but lacinato is the only variety that crisps rather than wilts, allowing you to get great texture very quickly. This is wonderful with a little Chunky Almond Oil drizzled over the top.

Fish deserve some salty foreplay just as much as pork and poultry. Every type of seafood is different in terms of density of the flesh, so different brine times are needed for different fish.

Kick off your Independence Day bash with a patriotic take on homemade chips featuring baking potatoes, purple potatoes, and beets that are sliced and then fried into a hot, crispy red, white, and blue snack. Gather your ingredients and check out our tips on the dos and don'ts of deep-frying.

These biscotti-like cookies are extra delicious dipped in an after-dinner drink such as Vin Santo.

"I like the fact that just three or four main ingredients can make a smashing result," says van Boven about this sweet and crunchy salad.

This salad can be made with raw fava beans, as long as they're especially fresh. But blanching them quickly makes them much easier to peel.

If you don't have a punch bowl, do what van Boven does: "Use a big glass vase—it's nice and tall and doesn't take up too much space on your table."

Parcooking in vinegar water helps set the starches so the potatoes get crisp, rather than floury, when roasted.

We love a classic pesto Genovese. But why be limited to basil? Swapping in flat-leaf parsley makes for a balanced sauce that allows you to really taste the nuts, the olive oil, the Parmesan. Sturdy parsley is also easier to find year-round (and more affordable) than basil. Use this sauce as you would any pesto: spooned over grilled vegetables, spread on a sandwich, and, yes, swirled into pasta. Bonus: Parsley pesto holds its vibrant color much longer than the other stuff.

For a zippier, more refreshing cocktail (that's what summer drinks are about, right?), it's all in the wrist. Muddling extracts essential oils to deliver maximum herb impact. Tarragon flavors the boozy lemonade here, but basil makes an excellent sub. And while muddled mint is essential to a Mojito, you won't believe what it can add to a Margarita. Shake up a few and see.

Gently heating chives— or almost any herb—in oil creates a concentrated, Technicolor elixir that's a favorite weapon of restaurant chefs: It's ideal for whisking into vinaigrettes and drizzling over fish, scrambled eggs, or ricotta crostini.

Some leaves deserve to infiltrate the dessert menu, like lemon verbena, infused here in a whipped cream that can be spooned over just about anything.

Letting meat rest ensures juiciness. Make even better use of that time by sprinkling the cutting board with chopped herbs dressed with oil and citrus zest before setting the meat on top, a trick we picked up from chef Adam Perry Lang. The cooked protein will soak up the herbs' aroma. Flavor bonus: Drizzle the herb-infused juices over the meat before serving.

The next time you're serving a salad, add some herbs. Think of them as you would any other green; toss handfuls of dill, mint, basil, and more into peppery leaves like arugula, mizuna, or mustard greens, all of which are assertive enough to allow the herbal notes to shine without overpowering the dish. Top it all off with grilled steak, pork, or chicken, and you've got a perfect summer supper.

For the quick pickles, try using other crisp vegetables, such as radishes, celery, or fennel.

The key to a tender biscuit is to handle the dough as little as possible.

As summer progresses and apricots go out of season, try these desserts with ripe plums instead.