Best served at room temperature or lightly chilled, eggplant purees can fill many roles -- appetizer dip for toasted pita or fresh vegetables, anchor of a meze platter, relish to dress up simply cooked meat or fish, or hearty vegetable side dish.
Pita rounds spring to life after just a couple of minutes on a hot grill: The dimpled surfaces of the flatbread crisp up in a nice contrast with their soft interiors (be sure to buy the pocketless kind of pita, which is fluffier than pita that is meant to be split and stuffed). A shake of crunchy kosher salt and a brush of garlicky olive oil flecked with oregano knocks them out of the park.
To make a larger crisp that serves 10, double all the ingredients, use a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, and bake for 55 minutes at 375 degrees, without increasing the oven temperature. We recommend both Granny Smith and McIntosh apples. Half a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger makes a nice flavor addition to all the fruits.
If you make the crisp topping in large quantities and freeze it, this dessert can be as simple as slicing up some fruit. Just store the topping in a large container or zipper-lock bag. When you need a quick dessert, scoop out the required amount (about two cups for the quantity of fruit in this recipe), sprinkle it over the prepared fruit, and bake.
Many types of bread can be substituted for white sandwich bread, including cinnamon-raisin bread and challah.
Campanelli is a frilly trumpet-shaped pasta. If you cannot find it, fusilli works well. Take care not to overreduce the vinegar, or it will become bitter.
Starting with an uncovered pan, toast the orzo with butter and onions and then add a combination of vermouth and chicken broth, cooking over moderate heat. Finely grated Parmesan makes the pilaf creamier, and a pinch of nutmeg points up the cheese's nuttiness. The dish is now ready for Mediterranean inspiration.
With the addition of the fish fillets, the pan temperature drops; compensate for the heat loss by keeping the heat on medium-high for 30 seconds after adding them. A splatter screen helps reduce the mess of pan-searing. Serve salmon with a fresh salsa or squirt of lemon or lime. For heightened sesame flavor, rub the fish fillets with Asian sesame oil instead of canola or vegetable.
Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks after the cream has finished steeping; if left to sit, the surface of the yolks will dry and form a film. The best way to judge doneness is with a digital instant-read thermometer. The custards, especially if baked in shallow fluted dishes, will not be deep enough to provide an accurate reading with a dial-face thermometer. For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too. The amount of sugar needed for the topping will depend on the shape of the ramekin.
This recipe works best with asparagus that is at least 1/2 inch thick near the base. If using thinner spears, reduce the covered cooking time to 3 minutes and the uncovered cooking time to 5 minutes. Do not use pencil-thin asparagus; it cannot withstand the heat and overcooks too easily. See below for instructions to reduce the number of servings to 2 to 3.