Vegetarian

Cashew pilaf is a beautifully textured mix of nutty wild rice and tender long grain white rice, studded with tiny cubes of sautéed carrots, onions and, at the end, a lavish toss of minced parsley and roasted salted cashews. It has softness and crunch, sweetness and saltiness.

The Italian word frittata derives from fritto, the past participle of "to fry" (friggere), and was originally a general term for cooking eggs in a skillet, anywhere on the spectrum from fried egg, through conventional omelette, to an Italian version of the Spanish tortilla de patatas, made with fried potato. Outside Italy, frittata was seen as equivalent to "omelette" until at least the mid-1950s.

PAD THAI, savory noodles that are a national dish of Thailand, can be made in multiple variations, but cooks must stay on their toes. At its sprightly best, pad Thai has fresh, tangy flavors. The sauce — with a splash of lime or lemon juice — is sweet, sour and spicy. The gently chewy, translucent rice noodles are mixed with a toss of bean sprouts, baby bok choy, slivers of sweet red pepper, string beans and a sprinkle of fresh basil and cilantro. Tiny clouds of scrambled egg and cubes of swiftly sautéed tofu add protein. The final touch is a topping of chopped, roasted, salted peanuts.

If you have native tomatoes, slice them and set on thick slices of grilled, crusty bread. Top with the eggplant-chevre mixture. 

Because of the high moisture content of tofu, it can go from a stir-fry to a braise in seconds. We also recommend salting and drying the tofu in paper towels so oil doesn't splatter during frying. 

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.

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.