Blender

Avocado leaves are the aroma of Oaxaca, and they are the main flavor in this indispensable staple. So many things can be created out of this little bean paste flavored with anise-y avocado tree leaves. It is the base for memelas, tlayudas, molletes, enfrijoladas, and so much more. Growing up, we stopped at the market in Tlacolula—a small village located near Oaxaca City—just to buy the paste, already made, in little plastic bags. You buy some tasajo, you grill it, you get some fresh tlayudas, some salsa, and then you spread some of this paste all over your tortilla like it is a savory cake frosting.

In this recipe, pineapple makes a fantastic marinade that caramelizes on the grill to create a tasty crust on chicken breast.

This Jalapeño Ranch is gonna kick up all kinds of taco creations and take veggies and dip to a new level in your life.

Once you master a basic aioli, you’ll find yourself adding different flavors (you can mix in herbs, spices, chilies, etc.) to suit the needs of so many savory dishes.

Buckwheat flour adds a deep, earthy flavor to spiced chicken-filled crepes.

Spring root vegetables star in this velvety, creamy soup, a riff on classic carrot-ginger soup that’s brightened by fennel and enriched with savory miso. 

This is easily the juiciest chicken I’d ever had in my life. The yogurt marinade acts like a brine, tenderizing the meat and making it even juicier than a normal roasted chicken.

The flavors in this dish are a combination of two tapas favorites: patatas bravas and huevos rotos. You get the best of both worlds with the runny yolks, crisped potatoes, chile-based sauce, and creamy mayo.

The dressing was a crowd-pleasing sweet onion recipe that we’d used at Old Lahaina Luau. It's made with a fresh, uncooked sweet onion, that gets puréed with cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and oil. Try it on our Maui Kale Salad with cabbage and spicy peanuts.

No chopping required for this weeknight dinner. Just blend spinach, kale, basil, and garlic with feta, cream cheese, and olive oil to make a fresh, rich sauce that wraps itself around pasta.

Want showstopping presentation? Make homemade dumpling wrappers to stuff with a filling of spinach, hearty tofu, vermicelli, and fruity Sichuan peppercorns.

Peanut butter tames the heat in this mild puréed salsa with serrano chiles and onions. Spoon it over mushroom tacos or use it as a dip for chips.

Melty, cheesy, crunchy, spicy: These sandwiches, a street food favorite in India, check all the boxes.

This vegetarian pozole relies on meaty mushrooms and hearty hominy to become a filling, soul-nourishing meal-in-a-bowl.

The best plant-based substitute for sour cream? Plant-based cream cheese. When blended, it best approximates the flavor and texture of sour cream. Top the bowl with crispy fried shallots for additional brightness and texture.

In chef Matty Matheson’s riff on the Nashville hot fish sandwich, crispy golden fish fillets get smothered in a smoky chile butter and layered with onions, pickles, and cheese.

This winter cocktail is bright and fizzy, spicy with ginger, and smoky with Scotch. Think of it as a Penicillin, gone extra-festive.

Standing three tiers high, the magnificent Bombay sandwich is a whopper of a construction. It’s available on every street corner, and each stallholder obsesses over their own special blend of spices, vegetables, and chutneys, for that “better than yours” taste. Although it’s a wonder, it’s also a labor of love to make at home, and so in this recipe I’ve attempted to embody its spirit—a sharp, hot green chutney, cheese, and onion—but in a pastry roll that can be made in just minutes.

This easy-to-make cocktail was one of the earlier drinks I created for the bar menu at our Brentwood restaurant, Tavern. It is made with a honey syrup infused with fresh ginger and chiles de árbol, so you get those flavors and that heat in the cocktail. I added grapefruit to make it tangy.

Traditionally these banana fritters are sweetened with a syrup made from gur or jaggery, which gives them a musky aroma and a dark brown color. This version uses maple syrup, which hits many of the same notes as those sweeteners. These fritters are fluffy and tender on the inside, crispy and craggy on the outside.