“Black garlic can make nearly anything taste good,” says Silver Iocovozzi, chef at Neng Jr.’s in Asheville, North Carolina. Made by aging regular garlic in a warm environment for a few weeks, the resulting cloves are jammy in texture, jet-black, and slightly sweet, with a deep, almost mushroom-like flavor. Locate black garlic at some specialty … Read more
If this isn’t the world’s best potato salad recipe, it’s certainly a strong contender. Created by legendary New Orleans chef Leah Chase, the dish gets its subtle kick from white rather than black pepper. The type of potato you choose will have the biggest effect on your potato salad: Russet potatoes will break down a … Read more
Long hot peppers, in season from late summer through early fall, are worth seeking out at the farmers market for their bright green color and earthy heat. These mildly spicy Italian long hot peppers make a great sweet-and-sour toast topper or sandwich stuffer, but the way we love them most is dragged through a nutty, … Read more
This is creamed corn for the summer months, turning the sweet and plentiful fresh kernels into a cheesy side in just minutes. Like the namesake pasta, the sauce gets its gloss from the emulsion of cheese and starchy liquid—in this case, a mix of cornstarch and water that mimics the viscosity of pasta cooking liquid. … Read more
As far as culinary staples go, fruit salad is an elder—it has been around for generations and it isn’t going anywhere. A fruit salad will always be easy, but a good fruit salad involves more than just a chop and a toss. At their best, fruit salads deliver an unexpected combination of color and contrast, … Read more
If you’re serving an array of Indian dishes, having a side dish of raita—right alongside the chutney—is nonnegotiable. A staple of many Indian cuisines, this cooling condiment is a refreshing yogurt dip or sauce that complements everything from weeknight kebabs and parathas to celebration-worthy dishes like biryani or pulao. This raita recipe gets its creamy … Read more
This simple tomato and cherry quinoa recipe—a seriously good celebration of high summer—deserves the very best tomatoes you can find. A mix of size, color and flavor works really well, but if you have a bowlful of one excellent variety such as Gardeners’ Delight or Honeycomb, don’t hesitate. The quick-pickled shallots are a wonderful thing: … Read more
When asked my favorite way to serve slicer tomatoes, I always reply, “with brown butter, black pepper, and salt.” There is something about the nuttiness of brown butter that takes peak-season tomatoes to a whole new level. Our favorite tomatoes to serve this way are classified as brown tomatoes, which tend to have a meatier, … Read more
Children of the ’90s: Rejoice, for bruschetta is due a revival. If you, too, grew up with parents piling carelessly cut tomatoes on any old piece of toasted bread and dropping it on the table with a flourish, this bruschetta is for you. But instead of the oft-abused balsamic vinegar of our youth (please, a … Read more
Zucchini can be a challenge to cook. It’s watery—and not in a refreshing way. It’s dense—but not sturdy like a carrot. It can be hard to properly brown or grill. But zucchini does have its positive attributes: It’s nutrient-dense, gorgeously green, and abundant at the height of summer. So instead of working against the inherently … Read more