Vegan

Make a batch of this versatile sauce, then serve it all week. You can spoon it over grilled fish, chicken, or pork—or use it to fill quesadillas.

Adapted from a recipe by chef Chris Bianco, of Pizzeria Bianco, in Phoenix, this dough bakes up crisp and chewy.

Fennel and raisins are a classic combination, and they come together here with rice to make a gratifying side dish. Dried fennel seeds help boost the fresh vegetable's delicate anise flavor, while plump golden raisins thread the rice with sweetness.

In another case of less is more, at-their-peak green beans—an old favorite—are paired with a quick vinaigrette that sparkles with a generous amount of minced sweet onion.

A whole head of roasted garlic lays the foundation for an eggplant spread that's silky and satisfying, while chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, basil, and lemon add a healthy dose of sunshine, brightening its flavor and color. Serve it with thin slices of toasted baguette for a great take on crostini.

Bok choy goes on a Peter Mayle—inspired holiday to Provence in this versatile side dish or, tossed over rice, light back-porch supper.

As the main ingredient in a sorbet, kiwifruit becomes the belle of the ball.

My friend Melissa McDonnell is finishing up her architectural studies in Texas, but she always finds time to bake her famous ginger cookies. These cookies are chewy, hearty, and totally addictive. The dough does need to chill for an hour, so be sure to prepare accordingly. And keep a close eye on these—my husband is a ginger-cookie addict and stole almost half the batch while they were cooling.

In my house, baking cookies was a cutthroat competition among siblings, with my mother presiding, Iron Chef style, with one baby perched on her hip and the other clamped to her knee. Our approaches varied. Mary increased the sugar in an attempt to up the crunch. Patrick (ever the psycho perfectionist) altered the recipe and portion size teaspoon by teaspoon in pursuit of a product with Mom's thin and crispy edges. Bill made his backwards, just to act rad. It was never my intention to upstage your cookies, Mom—but you should know that I've never claimed a victory as great as when you tasted your first Babycakes NYC cookie and said: "These are better than mine." Slather an exceedingly generous dollop of your favorite frosting between two of these cookies and you've got your newest addiction, the Babycakes NYC cookie sandwich. Try freezing them.

Let's just dive in, shall we? Not only does this produce a thick and creamy vanilla frosting, it also doubles as a whipped topping, and left unrefrigerated it becomes a vanilla sauce to serve with crumbs, shortcakes, or volcanoes. And why stop there? I especially love the sauce on savory bites like corn bread, muffins, and biscuits, where it acts like a decadent sweet butter. If you try to steer clear of soy, replace the liquid and powdered soy with the rice milk variety for both in equal measure—but be advised that the result will taste slightly sweeter. Please note: If it's true frosting you want, be sure to factor in the full six hours for it to chill and set. Editor's note: Use this frosting to top Vanilla Cupcakes or to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches, both from Babycakes.

These cakes are delicate and golden, tasting subtly of vanilla with a faint hint of lemon.

Korean chefs work with an array of distinct greens for fresh salads, including common red leaf lettuce, but also wild sesame leaves, young radish leaves, garlic chives, and chrysanthemums.

Sesame seed sauce is a popular condiment throughout the Middle East. It's especially prized in Israel, because Jewish dietary laws prohibit mixing meat and dairy products. Thus, the yogurt and cucumber or yogurt and mint sauce served with grilled lamb in Turkey and Lebanon would not be consumed by observant Jewish barbecue buffs in Israel. But tahini has the creaminess and tangy taste associated with yogurt. This recipe originally accompanied Turkey Shawarma .

For more of a bite, add two to three teaspoons of whole grain mustard along with the olive oil.

Similar to the socca—chickpea crepes—of Nice, in southern France.

This recipe originally accompanied Turkey Shawarma .

This recipe originally accompanied Baja Fish Tacos .