No-Cook

Rich, aromatic rouille is a classic lily-gilding for French fish soups; this one has an extra something special: saffron. Even if you love saffron, though, don't be tempted to add any extra threads. This is just the right amount to really flatter, not dominate, the soup.

This salad shows how bitterness, punctuated with a zingy vinaigrette, can be supremely refreshing.

A mandoline or V-slicer makes quick work of slicing the radishes.

Orange slices add a juicy, sweet touch to this simple salad, which is made even easier by drizzling the lettuce with oil and vinegar (rather than making a proper vinaigrette).

The slaw should be chilled at least 4 hours before serving. Ginger can be sliced thinly and chopped in a mini-chopper.

Something green and crisp is in order, and this simple salad is just the thing. A tangy from-scratch honey-mustard dressing will make salad eaters out of even the youngest at the table.

When life gives you pomegranates... make lemonade. In this refreshing version, a splash of pomegranate juice adds a sweet-tart note, as well as plenty of good-for-you antioxidants. For an adult version, add 2 tablespoons vodka to each drink.

The chicken calls for oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes from a jar, and this dip cleverly makes use of some of that oil.

Wash the salad greens in a large bowl of cold water. Handle them gently to avoid bruising.

This is a time-honored way to sweeten mint juleps , lemonade, and iced tea.

In the discussion of preserving fruit By canning versus freezing, why doesn't this technique ever come up? Peacock credits the late Edna Lewis for teaching him to mix mashed fruit with sugar for a sort of jam that he says keeps for a year when refrigerated. (We only tested up to one month, but so far, so good.) "It's a very old-fashioned method," he says. "The flavor is fresh and intense and delicious spooned onto hot Buttered Buttermilk Biscuits or Yeast Rolls ." Try it with raspberries or strawberries, too.

Edna Lewis trained Peacock's palate to detect the metallic undertones that commercial baking powders can impart, and he's never looked back. Here's their formula.

There is nothing like a homemade piecrust. It's hard to say exactly why it's so amazing—it just is. This classic recipe calls for butter, for flavor, and shortening, for flakiness. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find that people will walk over hot coals for a piece of your pie.