Vegan

Slender Asian eggplant magically holds its shape as you sauté it, without going mushy, and yet it collapses in the mouth with a final suggestion of its glaze, bold with Japanese seven-spice powder and the gentle heat of fresh ginger.

The Japanese are wild about pickles, pickling practically every vegetable and root they come across—and in sweet, salty, sour, and bitter incarnations to boot. In this classic, a hit of wasabi powder adds a subtle heat to these savory quick pickles.

Food editor Lillian Chou visited The Conscious Gourmet at their location in Santa Fe for a weeklong retreat in cooking and wellness. With its dose of flaxseed oil, this salad represents an attempt to get more omega-3s into the diet. The hazelnut oil is simply for deliciousness, complementing the toasted nuts and crisp-tender green beans.

Editor's note: The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com. This coleslaw originally accompanied Karmel's recipe for North Carolina Style Pulled Pork.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com. The addition of ketchup in this slightly sweeter vinegar sauce distinguishes it from simpler Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce. I prefer this sauce not only because I grew up with it—I like the added flavor and the pink color that the ketchup gives the sauce. To turn this sauce into an Eastern sauce, add 1 cup of water and eliminate the brown sugar and ketchup. This sauce is used to make North Carolina Style Pulled Pork and North Carolina Coleslaw . You will need to double this recipe to sauce both the meat and the slaw.

**Editor's note:**The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com. This rub originally accompanied Karmel's recipe for Slow-Cooked Texas Beer Brisket .

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . This rub has all the classic barbecue notes: salt, spice, sweet, and smoky. It is particularly great on ribs but works with pork chops and tenderloin, chicken and even catfish for an authentic low 'n slow barbecued flavor.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . Grilling asparagus miraculously transforms it from the kind of vegetable you hated as a kid to a sweet, meaty, lip-smackin' treat that you can't get enough of as an adult. Contrary to popular belief, look for the fatter stalks when buying asparagus—they are much better suited to grilling and actually have better flavor. This is the least amount of work you will ever have to do to be considered the Queen or King of the Grill.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from How to Grill, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A. OK, this is ground zero—the ur American barbecue rub. Use it on ribs, pork shoulders, chickens—anything you want to taste like American barbecue. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons per pound of meat. A 4-pound chicken will take 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. You'll find hickory-smoked salt available in the spice rack of most supermarkets. To make a spicier rub, substitute hot paprika for some or all of the sweet paprika.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance by Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson. This is an incredibly useful and versatile stock. It has a sweet vegetal flavor that can be used in many different ways—as a base for sauces and soups, adding richness and depth without changing the essential flavor of what it is paired with. It keeps in the refrigerator for one week, or you can freeze it indefinitely.

This vegetarian curry is delicious served with some basmati rice alongside.

Wear gloves when working with super-hot chiles like habaneros.

Wear gloves when working with chiles.

Serve the compote over vanilla or strawberry ice cream, angel food cake, pancakes, or waffles.

Salad dressing has derailed at least seven of my diets. Fat-free varieties are either bitter or icky sweet, so I end up skipping salads altogether. The spa version uses thickened nonfat vegetable stock, which uncannily resembles emulsified olive oil, as a base. Soon you'll be buying greens in bulk and jeans in a smaller size.

The inner stalks of celery and fennel, plus soft chunks of mozzarella, add up to a clean, cool salad that's quite striking (the name, which refers to a "woman in white," alludes to its pale hues).