Herbs & Spices

Roasted poblano chiles and cream are a classic—and irresistible—combination. It's worth roasting more than you need—the peeled and seeded chiles freeze well and thaw quickly. Sliced and seared zucchini or chayote squash is a terrific addition to the rajas mixture.

Spicy Mexican chorizo adds richness to tinga, a tomatoey shredded-chicken tostada topping.

In the state of Chiapas, these are made with chewy dried shrimp and called tostadas turulas. Use the most flavorful shrimp and best tomatoes you can find.

We use this rub on just about everything that we smoke at the restaurant, but you needn't follow the recipe exactly. Feel free to improvise on the ingredients and amounts, reducing the sugar for a less-sweet "bark" (crust), increasing the cayenne for a spicier one, and so on.

The classic combination of peaches and cream takes a trip south of the border in these cinnamon-spiked ice pops.

Serve this cooling mint-infused watermelon juice as cooling refreshment in the summer sun.

In Mexico, salpicón is a kind of shredded meat or fish salad, usually made with beef, and commonly served on tostadas. This version gets a fresh crunch from radishes and sweet acidic kick from a combination of lime and pineapple juices.

This recipe combines your favorite bagel toppers with an acidic snap of pickled green tomatoes.

This juicy, crunchy salad-on-toast gets even more texture (and flavor) thanks to quickly fried capers and basil.

Roasting cherry tomatoes with maple syrup enhances their natural sweetness, making them an ideal partner for rich, tangy goat cheese.

Caramelized tomatoes add a pop of tanginess to these garlicky toasts.

This combination of rich, smoky ham, tangy mustard, melty cheese, and ripe tomato is perfect for a lavish breakfast with a fried egg.

Horseradish-mayo adds a creamy kick to a tomato-celery salad inspired by our favorite brunch cocktail.

Compound butters are a great way to add flavor in a flash. Try your leftovers slathered on roasted vegetables or a seared steak.

These muffins are a clone of "The Famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins"—which were indeed famous up until the mid-1990s, when Jordan's, one of Boston's two iconic department stores (Filene's being the other) was absorbed by Macy's and effectively disappeared. These overstuffed muffins, with their signature sugary crown, were served in the Jordan Marsh dining room on the top floor of the store, where dedicated shoppers went to rest and compare purchases while sipping tea and enjoying a muffin—blueberry, of course.

Aromatic spices and tangy yogurt give great flavor to this quick riff on the Indian classic.

Skip the dried-out grocery store slaw packets. Instead, grate broccoli stems and toss with chopped florets and an Asian-inspired dressing for a great combo of textures and bold, beautiful flavor.