It’s an unlikely scenario—early season vegetables cooked at a low simmer to amplify their fresh flavors—but it works.
Most countries have their own version of rice pudding, and this has a bit of a Scandinavian vibe, with the inclusion of cardamom, a favorite Nordic spice.
This recipe is based off of the oldest known written recipe for milk punch (which I found in cocktail historian David Wondrich’s book Punch). The original features a simple combination of brandy, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and water and is clarified with scalded milk. My adaptations to Mary’s original recipe are few: I use cold milk in place of hot, add orange peel and orange juice to the lemon for a more complex citrus flavor, and scale it down to make one quart (the original makes about twelve 750-milliliter bottles). The finished drink is bright and clean with limoncello-like lemon (and orange) intensity, and the whey that remains after clarification provides velvety body.
The herbaceousness of butter lettuce lends itself perfectly to panna cotta. There is a gentle bitterness that cottons to the fat in the cream here. Then come the strawberries and their bright sweetness. A finish of olive oil, and this truly wows.
Meringue pie can be tricky to prepare. We figure out how to make a perfect lemon meringue pie with a sky-high topping that doesn't weep.
The French seem able to turn just about anything into a delectable spread, and this is the easiest one I know. Smoked salmon could be used instead of the trout, as could minced cooked shrimp or other shellfish. Serve this spread with toasts or crackers, or add a small spoonful to Belgian endive leaves as a special appetizer.
There are hot sauces, and then there’s harissa. With roots in Morocco and Tunisia, brick-red harissa is aromatic and complex, with rich layers of flavor from chiles (which can be dried, fresh, or a combination), garlic, olive oil, coriander, cumin, and caraway. You can make harissa at home but prepared versions are available in cans, tubes, and jars in the international aisle of well-stocked markets and in Middle Eastern specialty stores. Brands of store-bought harissa vary in spiciness—start with 1 Tbsp and add more if you want a punchier dressing. Bright lemon and earthy tahini are natural matches for harissa.
Stuffed apricots are an iconic Turkish dessert. We found that by tweaking the sugar concentration of the syrup, we could simultaneously cook, candy, and rehydrate our apricots.
If you can't find blanched sliced almonds, grind slivered almonds for the batter and use unblanched sliced almonds for the topping. Serve plain or with whipped cream.
A quick stint on the grill and a rub of brightly flavored gremolata make this steak an easy and flavorful weeknight dinner option.