Herbs & Spices

Poaching peaches in ginger beer infuses them with sweet, spicy flavor. Layer the fruit with ice cream and top with more ginger beer for a fun spin on a classic float.

Pan-searing dates turns them into an irresistible, warm treat with a crisp, caramelized exterior and a soft, sweet interior. Paired with cold vanilla ice cream and topped with olive oil, mint, and flaky sea salt, the fruit becomes a sophisticated dessert with a fun mix of sweet and savory.

Filled with black beans, avocado, and raw corn marinated in bright lime juice along with jalapeño, cilantro, and toasted nuts and seeds, these hearty tacos make an easy-to-cook, easy-to-eat weeknight dinner.

Serve this one-pot baked chicken dish with steamed rice and broccoli.

This simple, healthy dish is a showstopper—it's a big colorful stack of summer flavors.

The savory quality of the herbed sweet-sour plums, plus this incredibly creamy tahini and lemon dressing, is unthinkably tasty.

I use my favorite no-churn ice-cream recipe in these ice-cream sandwiches which makes them really quick and easy. You could use your own favorite ice-cream; just defrost it slightly so you can spread it between the brownie layers easily.

Pineapple cups make a fun presentation for this frosty summer cocktail, but if you're short on time, just use regular cocktail glasses instead.

The pairing of barbecue and Big Red Soda is super-popular throughout the South, so why not combine the two in one killer dish? The sweet, cult-favorite cream soda, originally from Texas, is often compared to cinnamon bubble gum, but also has notes of lemon, orange, and vanilla. Here, it's combined with barbecue sauce as a cooking liquid for slow-cooked, spice-rubbed pork shoulder, with results that are sweet, spicy, and as uniquely flavored as Big Red itself.

These fried and sauced chicken breast strips have all the spicy flavor of Buffalo wings—without the hassle of bones. Serve them with a tangy blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

These cupcakes remind me of the crisp October air and colored leaves crunching underneath my feet.

Nothing says waiting for the holiday season to end like these moist, fluffy gingerbread cupcakes. Bring them to your next familial bash and eat them as you grit your teeth and marvel at your family.

A very thick glaze with a bold, caramel-like flavor, this is an interesting way to use brown rice syrup in desserts. The intense flavor goes perfectly with spice or any strongly flavored cupcake. The texture of this glaze is very sticky at first but it well set up after an hour, or pop finished cupcakes in the fridge to speed it up.

Steeping saffron in hot water releases its color and aroma. If you want a pretty finisher without the expense of saffron, use extra sesame seeds.

Carrots love to burn when grilled over direct high heat; better to park them over a cooler spot on the grate and keep the cover closed if possible.

If you can’t find ají amarillo chiles for this grilled squid recipe, substitute with the paste, which is more widely available. Add 2 tsp. paste to dressing before adding the oil.

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q in Atlanta, GA, sells its own barbecue sauce, which you can order online, but any store-bought sauce will work for this smoked chicken wings recipe too.