If there were ever a love song to garlic, Lebanese toum (pronounced TOOM) is the finest aria of them all. Toum, which means “garlic” in Arabic, is pure garlic flavor that is brightened with lemon; you’ll find yourself stirring toum into just about any recipe that calls for minced garlic, as well as its classic Lebanese pairing with grilled meats such as Yogurt Marinated Chicken Skewers. A spoonful of toum elevates any steamed or roasted vegetable, or pasta or grains—or as a dipping sauce for good bread. I’ve even taken to slathering it on my homemade white pizzas before baking. Making toum requires a slow and steady hand to emulsify the garlic and oil in the food processor; consider toum like an aïoli with no egg. There are many methods cooks use to avoid a broken toum emulsion, such as adding an egg white, cooked potato, or cornstarch to the mix. I like my toum made without any of those, which can be replaced with patience—and a little ice water, which helps the emulsion hold.
Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.
Tangy and sunny, this curd can be made with either fresh or frozen pulp.
Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.
The kimchi brine is the secret hero here; just a splash of it brightens the cocktail while deepening it with a little funky je ne sais quoi.
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
A little shrimp paste goes a long, long, long way in this delicious vegetable dish.
Among the easiest appetizers ever.