Ingredients

• 1 to 2 pounds vegetables
• Aromatics, such as onion, garlic, or leeks
• Olive oil or unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 4 to 6 cups stock

Preparation

Choose and weigh 1 to 2 pounds of vegetables. Cut up the vegetables and aromatics, and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or butter, ghee, or the fat from rendering some bacon, chicken, etc.) in a Dutch oven over medium heat. (Also, you could add ginger or chili peppers right here.)

Sautee the aromatics until fragrant and soft (five minutes), brown the vegetables, and season them with salt, pepper, and spices (dried herbs like mint, sage, or oregano, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and smoked or truffled salt).

Add 4 to 6 cups of broth and bring to a simmer. Add a sprig of fresh herbs now if desired. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Let cook for about 30 minutes, then check the soup. Are the vegetables as soft as you would like? If you want to leave the vegetables intact, take the soup off the heat now. If you want the vegetables very soft for pureeing, keep cooking until they are falling apart.

Whether you are leaving the vegetables intact or pureeing the soup, make sure to taste the soup as it finishes cooking. If it seems flat, add some vinegar or lemon juice. If it is too salty, thin out with some extra broth or dairy. You can also add leftover cooked pasta, a few crumbles of cooked ground turkey or beef, cooked strips of chicken breast on top of each bowl, 1/4 cup of rice, quinoa, or another grain (simmering until done), or a can of beans, chickpeas, or tomatoes, and simmer until warmed through.

Once the vegetables are very soft, you can puree the soup in a blender or with a stick blender if you like. Rewarm gently after blending. When pureeing the soup, you can add flavor and creaminess by adding beans, tofu, coconut milk, yogurt, or other dairy such as cream, mascarpone, or even cream cheese. Finish the soup with something acid like lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or fruit vinegar. Or drizzle on a little oil like chili oil, smoked olive oil, or something else a little special.

The Kitchn

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage
• 1 lb. red grapes, halved lengthwise (3 cups)
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• ¼ c. water
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ¼ c. dry white wine
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh mint

Preparation

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange sausages in pan and cook, turning once, until browned on 2 sides, about 5 minutes. Tilt skillet and carefully remove excess fat with paper towel (no, really, you want a dry skillet at this point). Distribute grapes and onion over and around sausages. Add water and immediately cover. Cook, turning sausages once, until they register between 160 and 165 degrees and onions and grapes have softened, about 10 minutes.

Transfer sausages to paper towel–lined plate and tent with aluminum foil. Return skillet to medium-high heat and stir pepper and salt into grape-onion mixture. Spread grape-onion mixture in even layer in skillet and cook without stirring until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is well browned and grapes are soft but still retain their shape, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, stir in wine and oregano, and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until wine is reduced by half, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar.

Arrange sausages on serving platter and spoon grape-onion mixture over top. Sprinkle with mint and serve with crusty bread or over polenta.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 6 oz. sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut into 1-inch lengths
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. minced shallot
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 c. farro, cooked to package directions, cooled
• 6 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

Preparation

1. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add asparagus, snap peas, and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Whisk oil, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add cooled vegetables, farro, tomatoes, dill, and 1/4 cup feta to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle salad with remaining 1/4 cup feta and serve.

Ingredients

• 2 c. short-grain brown rice
• Salt
• 10 oz. boneless pork ribs, trimmed
• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp. honey
• ⅛ tsp. five-spice powder
• Small pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 tsp. vegetable oil
• 8 oz large (26-30) shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbs. soy sauce
• 1 c. frozen peas

Preparation

1. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add rice and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Drain well and return to pot. Cover and set aside.

2. While rice cooks, cut pork into 1-inch pieces and slice each piece against grain 1/4 inch thick. Combine pork with hoisin, honey, five-spice powder, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp in even layer and cook without moving them until bottoms are browned, about 90 seconds. Stir and continue to cook until just cooked through, about 90 seconds longer. Push shrimp to 1 side of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to cleared side of skillet. Add eggs to clearing and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently until set but still wet, about 30 seconds. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to clean bowl.

4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork in even layer. Cook pork without moving it until well browned on underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pork and cook without moving it until cooked through and caramelized on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shrimp-egg mixture.

5. Heat sesame oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Add soy sauce and half of rice and stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated, making sure to break up clumps of ginger and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining rice, pork mixture, and peas. Stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallion greens. Transfer to warmed platter and serve.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. plus ¾ c. panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp. minced parsley
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 4 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 scallion, sliced thin
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 (1 ¼ pound) skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ c. vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Combine 3 tablespoons panko, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, scallion, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Working in 3 batches, pulse salmon in food processor until coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 2 pulses, transferring each batch to bowl with panko mixture. Gently mix until uniformly combined.

2. Place remaining 3/4 cup panko in pie plate. Using 1/3-cup measure, scoop level amount of salmon mixture and transfer to baking sheet; repeat to make 8 cakes. Carefully coat each cake in bread crumbs, gently patting into disk measuring 2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Return coated cakes to baking sheet.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place salmon cakes in skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cakes to paper towel–lined plate to drain 1 minute. Serve.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp. ouzo (or Pernod)
• 5 cloves garlic, pressed
• zest of one lemon
• 1 sm. onion, diced medium (about ¾ cup)
• ½ medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced medium (about ½ cup)
• ½ medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced medium (about ½ cup)
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 28 oz. can diced tomato, drained, ⅓ cup juices reserved
• ¼ c. dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley
• 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 1½ cups)
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Preparation

1. Toss shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon ouzo, 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in small bowl until well combined. Set aside while preparing sauce.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, red and green bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables release their moisture, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture cooks off and vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved juice, wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons ouzo; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and sauce is slightly thickened (sauce should not be completely dry), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp along with any accumulated liquid to pan; stir to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 6 to 9 minutes for extra-large or 7 to 11 minutes for jumbo, adjusting heat as needed to maintain bare simmer. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle evenly with feta. Drizzle remaining tablespoon oil evenly over top and sprinkle with dill. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 4 parts honey
• 1 part hot water

Preparation

Heat honey and water gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches a simmer. Remove from heat and cool.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. heavy cream
• 1 oz. egg white
• 1 oz. honey syrup
• Fresh lavender

Preparation

Shake over ice gently for 30 seconds to make a thick, creamy cocktail. Strain and garnish with lavender.

Adapted from H. Ehrmann, A Guide to Honey Cocktails

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz. amaro averna
• 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 2 spoons honey syrup
• Prosecco
• Grapefruit twist

Preparation

Add amaro, juice, syrup, and bitters into a champagne flute. Top with prosecco. Garnish with twist.

Apis Restaurant and Apiary’s Jose Luis Sapien

Ingredients (per hamburger)

• 3 ounces (86-88 grams) ground beef (<=80% lean)
• 1 1/4 ounces (36-40 grams) grated cheddar cheese (mixture of sharp and mild)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 hamburger bun or (soft) Kaiser roll
• 4-5 dill pickle slices or “chips”
• Mayo and mustard
• Oil or shortening for frying

Preparation

Get a nice big dutch oven and add enough oil or shortening to be two inches deep. Install your fry/candy thermometer to the side of the pot and crank the heat to medium high. Your thermal destination is 320 degrees F.

Turn on your broiler and position rack in top position. This is a perfect time to use your toaster oven if you have one.

Meanwhile, weigh out the meat portions for however many burgers you want to make. Roll into balls and set aside. Do not refrigerate.

Grate the cheese. If you want 4 burgers, obviously you need 5 ounces total. Six would be 7 1/2, eight would be 10 ounces. Toss this cheese with the spices until all the powder has stuck to the cheese.

Place a thin layer of mayo on the bottom of the buns. Place half the cheese mixture on top of this. Spread mustard on bun tops and place the rest of the cheese on this. You should have half the cheese on the bottoms (on mayo) and half on the tops (on mustard). Place these under the broiler so that the cheese will melt as you cook the burgers.

When the oil hits 320 degrees F, place one of the meat balls on an upside-down sheet pan. Dip a wide metal grill spatula in the hot fat then use it to smash and spread the meat ball out into a 5 to 6-inch-wide disk. It will be irregular around the circumference and that’s good as all those irregularities will become crunchy goodness. The meat will also shrink by a couple of inches. Gently scrape the patty/wafer off the pan with the spatula and gently drop into the fat. Cook one minute, no more, no less. You can cook up to three patties at a time, but watch the oil temp and don’t let it drop to under 300 degrees F.

Remove meat to a paper towel to drain briefly then place it on the bun bottom right away. Place the pickles on top, then the bun top. The goal: bread/mayo/cheese/meat/cheese/pickles/mustard/bread.

Consume or wrap in foil and hold for up to half an hour.

Alton Brown