Vegan

A dollop of this romesco sauce improves everything from steak to roasted cauliflower.

Here, a coarse sea salt like fleur de sel or sel gris plays a few important roles: It tempers and cuts the richness of the nuts and butter, it adds a concentrated crunch— and it makes the brittle look divine. Break this vibrant green pistachio brittle on top of ice cream or crumble it over rice pudding. Or, do what we do, and eat it straight off the baking sheet.

Spoon this spicy and acidic sauce over a steak salad, serve alongside pan-fried chicken, or try it on a taco.

Harissa is typically made with hot chiles and served with couscous. This herb-based spin is great with roasted vegetables, or as a rub for fish.

Don't bother peeling the onions; their skins add a nice, rich brown color to this vegetable stock. If you'd like, remove the skins for use in dishes when a lighter color is preferred, such as in risotto or cream sauces.

Pico de gallo, also known as salsa Mexicana, has become a common sight on tables in the U.S. and it's easy to see why. The mixture of raw, chopped ingredients improves just about any meal with its lively acidity, lip-tingling heat, and crisp texture. This version is a riff on the classic that swaps lemon for lime to great effect. Whenever I take a bite I have a heretical thought: This is so delicious that maybe we Mexicans should use only lemons!

Another fantastic substitute for soupy beans, these pack a punch, which is just the thing for tortas. The chile powder should be reduced by half if serving these beans as a side dish.

Who knew Cabernet and cranberries would make such a dynamic duo? Add dried figs (plumped in the Cabernet ahead of time), and you end up with a winey, fruity fig bar, minus the cookie. This sauce is so fine, you'll be spooning leftovers on ice cream or slathering it on toast in place of jam. It's worth buying extra cranberries and freezing them so you can make more to last you through the winter. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of our Gourmet Modern Menu for Thanksgiving for 2 or 20. Menu also includes: Citrus-Sage Roast Turkey with Gravy (whole turkey or breast ); Roasted Butternut Squash Ribbons with Arugula, Pancetta, and Hazelnut Salad; Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin; Challah, Sausage, and Dried Cherry Stuffing; and for dessert, Apple Crostata with Spiced Caramel Sauce .

Editor's note: Use this gluten-free flour mixture to make Jeanne Sauvages' Spritz Cookies or Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts).

With a tropical flair really sweetens things up. Chop fruit in advance; assemble day of. Done!

We like to brush this sweet sauce on steaks, grilled or roasted chicken legs, and slices of roasted eggplant. Try it on salmon, too.

The fried olives used to garnish this colorful salad just might become your new favorite. Try scattered over crostini or salads.