“Amuse-bouche” is French for “girl dinner” — or, at the very least, you could be forgiven for believing as much. The two culinary isms, however dissonant in vibe, share the same basic premise: curated snacks (anything from loose string cheese on a plate to, say, Pecorino Romano PDO gildas, skewered with olives and fresh anchovies). Translating more literally to that which amuses the mouth, an amuse-bouche offers a more poetic, intentional take on the TikTok dining craze (the likes of which often boils down to a rogue selection of proteins and pickles arranged haphazardly on a platter). That sa ..read more

Makes: 34   Prep time: 30 minutes  Total time: 4 hours, plus 12 hours of soaking saffron  INGREDIENTS for the saffron water: 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon saffron for the saffron rice: 2 ⅔ cups|560 grams jasmine rice  1 tablespoon kosher salt 4 ⅓ cups|1025 ml saffron water for the saffron rice shell: 1 cup|230 grams whole milk yogurt  1 teaspoon baharat  1 teaspoon ground Persian lime  1 teaspoon kosher salt  3 large eggs, beaten  9 ½ cups|1400 grams saffron rice  ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons|70 grams rice flour for the lamb ragu ..read more

Serves: 2 to 4 Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour INGREDIENTS: for the dal: 1 cup|200 grams masoor dal or red lentils 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup|140 grams red onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon grated ginger 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala, depending on intensity 2 tablespoons ghee 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida 1 dried red chile pepper ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika (optional) to serve: cilantro leaves basmati rice achaar, like Brookly ..read more

Now may be a good time to engage in an ancient shamanic ritual to cleanse your aura and heal your afflictions—and all you need to accomplish these miracles is one humble egg. We're talking about the art of an egg cleanse, also known as la limpia in Spanish. The practice may derive from Mexico and Mesoamerica, but similar traditions can also be found in the cultures of Italy and the Philippines. Practitioners differ on the details of the ritual, but the basics don't vary. So, let’s shell-out the details. What is an Egg Cleanse Ritual? Forget about the rise of egg prices – an egg cleanse might n ..read more

Makes about 30 tacos Prep time: 45 minutes  Total time: 2 hours  INGREDIENTS  for the chipotle mayo: 1 cups|205 grams mayonnaise 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo ½ tablespoon lime juice  kosher salt, to taste  for the salsa verde cruda: 5 tomatillos, quartered  1 bunch cilantro 1 garlic clove  ¼ serrano chile  ¼ white onion, peeled  kosher salt, to taste for the pico de gallo: 1 serrano chile, minced  ½ red onion, minced ¼ bunch cilantro, minced  olive oil, as needed  kosher salt, to taste  for the coleslaw: 1 ..read more

Serves 4 to 6  Prep time: 30 minutes  Total time: 3 ½ hours INGREDIENTS **for the laarb paste: **2 slivers from one piece galangal 6 dried Thai chilies  ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 whole star anise 1 bay leaf 1 whole cardamom pod 1 whole clove 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 Indian Long Pepper (Dili) 1 piece nutmeg ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns ¼ cup|60 ml vegetable oil 1 cup|250 ml fish sauce 1 cup|220 grams palm sugar **for the laarb: **½ cup|75 grams pine nuts   1 small shallot, finely diced         ..read more

Serves: 4  Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes INGREDIENTS for the chili oil brown butter: 1 (9-ounce|255-gram) jar ghee 8 garlic cloves, peeled  5 scallion whites 3 Thai chilies, stems removed 1 tablespoon green Szechuan peppercorns ¼ cup|20 grams Szechuan chili flakes 3 tablespoons whole milk powder for the chili oil butter noodles: 1 tablespoon canola oil  1 (1 ½-inch thick) New York strip steak (optional) 7 tablespoons|105 grams chili oil brown butter  1 pound|450 grams wheat noodles  6 tablespoons|90 ml soy sauce 3 tablespoons shallot sauce 1 tablespoon g ..read more

Makes: 4 toasts Prep time: 45 minutes Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes INGREDIENTS **for the shrimp toast: **1 (1 ¼-ounce|35-gram) pack bean thread noodles 1 pound|450 grams peeled and deveined shrimp 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon granulated sugar kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste fish sauce, to taste 4 (½-inch) thick slices white pullman loaf vegetable oil, for frying **for the mango sweet chili sauce: **¾ cup|200 grams sambal olek 6 tablespoons|75 grams granulated sugar 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped **for the piperade ..read more

Serves: 4 Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 5 hours Where’s the vinegar? I’m in the poultry demo at the Natural Gourmet Institute, and I’m looking for the vinegar. The instructor is just patting the chicken dry and then nothing, no washing. What is this? Reports say that washing your chicken can cause bacteria to spread to kitchen surfaces and utensils. That will never stop Black folks from doing what feels right. In my childhood kitchen in Plantation, my mum would douse the chicken in vinegar for each and every dish. Roast chicken. Chicken in a bag. Curry chicken. My mum used store-bought cur ..read more

Raw cashews are pretty boring nuts, but when thoroughly roasted and salted, they turn into a totally addictive snack. It’s the richness and savoriness of salted roasted cashews that makes them a great addition to blondies, a type of bar cookie that’s typically quite sweet. I double-roast the cashews and coat them in toffee to add a salty crunch to my straightforward blondie base. The variety of textures and nutty- butterscotch-y flavors made these a fan favorite during the testing phase. Makes: 16  Active time: 30 minutes  Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus time to cool INGREDIENTS ..read more