Peter Gordon

This soup features the flavors of India: aromatic nigella seeds, curry powder, curry leaves, and cumin seeds.

When garlic is cooked very slowly in olive oil, the result is two delicious ingredients — soft roasted garlic and garlic oil — that give this soup an Italian feel and great flavor.

For subtle spice in this Asian-inspired soup, use half a red chile; add a whole chile for a good punch of heat.

Olive oil in a dessert might seem a little odd, but try to think of it as a flavorful ingredient rather than a fat...as long as you choose a delicious extra-virgin oil. I first had something like this in Jabugo, Spain, when I ate slices of orange simply drizzled with a grassy local oil as a dessert. It was a revelation. If you want to go dairy-free in this dessert, then skip the yogurt and mix the mint in with the grapes.