Meal Prep

Purchased mayo gets dressed up with garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice.

Brown sugar and molasses are balanced by fresh ginger and jalapeños.

The intensity of the garlic is balanced by the freshness of the parsley.

Tangerine juice plays two roles here: It stops the cooking of the sugar, and its bright perfume brings complexity to the sauce.

Food editor Paul Grimes credits his cooking-school teacher chef Fernand Chambrette of école de Cuisine La Varenne, in Paris, with teaching him how to waste nothing and how to coax flavor even out of scraps. But this is not just an exercise in virtuosity, since the butter carries every last drop of sweet sea essence rendered from the shells. Keep any extra in your freezer and scoop some out whenever you want to punch up a seafood dish.

Prepare the giblet gravy while the roasted turkey rests.

A glaze lacquers and flavors the bird.

Chilies, lime juice and mint enhance the flavor of our Thai Summer Rolls .

Royal icing is a pure-white, sticky icing that dries to a hard finish. Royal icing is used for delicate piping on cookies and gingerbread houses. Its  bright white hue makes it a good option for tinting whatever color you like. 

Kumquats and cranberries turn out to be a perfect match, since their flavors are similar in intensity: The former contributes a pleasant citrusy bitterness to the latter's signature tartness.

Few Asian meals are complete without pickles, which function variously as appetizers, condiments, salads, palate cleansers, and relishes. Here, Chang breaks down the process so you do the work once but get four very different quick pickles out of it.

You'll reach for this recipe again and again for its stunning simplicity and for how well it works with any aperitif. Roasting the hazelnuts in the oven results in a deep nuttiness, which is then brought firmly into the savory realm with a sprinkling of salt and thyme.

Like tsatsiki, but with cilantro standing in for the mint, this tangy sauce packs a sneaky cayenne kick and makes an ideal accompaniment to grilled shrimp as well as the rice pilaf and the chicken kebabs.

A classic crowning touch for Italian-style braised veal shanks, this sprinkle of citrus and herbs adds freshness to long-cooked short ribs, too.

Encurtido de repollo In addition to mounding this refreshing slaw on every bite of the Salvadoran Stuffed Masa Cakes , you can proudly serve it as an accompaniment to burgers or grilled chicken.

You'll use this mixture to sweeten all three gelati. But the syrup is also useful for sweetening iced tea, fresh fruit drinks, and flavored cocktails.