Simple Cooking

Serve with grilled shrimp, fish, or pork.

You can make this garlic mayonnaise with a mortar and pestle or a food processor—we’ve provided directions for each method. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

This colorful relish is delicious with grilled chicken or shrimp. It also pairs well with the piquant flavors of quesadillas and crab cakes.

These biscuits are inspired by the oyster crackers that traditionally accompany bowls of creamy clam chowder. You can make the biscuits up to 1 week ahead; store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

For this version, make a basic tomatillo salsa, then puree it with avocado. This recipe makes extra salsa you can serve on its own along with tortilla chips. The salsa’s acidity preserves the color of guacamole; it can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 1 day.

Refrigerate the vinaigrette in an airtight container up to 3 days.

You can substitute dried cranberries or raisins for the dried cherries in this recipe.

This recipe was inspired by the tableside version prepared at Rosa Mexicano in New York City. To ripen hard avocados, leave them in a closed paper bag at room temperature for a few days.

These British scones, created by the mother of Martha Stewart Living design director James Dunlinson, resemble small, thick pancakes.

Fingerlings are grown in yellow, pink, and blue varieties. For a special touch, use an assortment of them. Any small potatoes will work just as well as fingerlings.

Make a nutritious lunch by spooning this spread into whole-wheat pita halves and layering with tomato slices. Or, for a cocktail hour snack, dab a small amount on cherry tomato halves.

Toss this mix with 2 pounds potatoes before grilling. Once they have finished cooking, sprinkle the potatoes with fresh lime juice, if desired. See page 389 for grilling instructions.