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I became a cook by accident; my mother didn’t show much interest in teaching me, nor I much interest in…
In New Mexico, where this burger is ubiquitous, flat green chiles from the Hatch Valley are the first choice. They’re flavorful with mellow, herbal heat, not blow-your-head-off hot. Anaheim and poblano chiles are common replacements, though they can be milder—Hatch chiles are increasingly easy to find. But use whatever heat level you like.
This pizza, with a smear of tomato sauce and a fair amount of mozzarella, is a little too loaded to grill, but the good news is that the cheese helps other unwieldy toppings—like broccoli, bell peppers, or olives—stick to the pie.
You won’t believe how simple it is to make pizza dough at home. And because the dough freezes very well (at least for a couple of weeks), it’s even practical to whip up a batch for one or two people and tuck the rest away for another day. To make pizza dough by hand or with a standing mixer, follow the directions, but use a bowl and a heavy wooden spoon or the mixer’s bowl and the paddle attachment instead of the food processor. When the dough becomes too heavy to stir, use your hands or exchange the mixer’s paddle for the dough hook and proceed with the recipe.
These addictive pancakes are almost crêpelike in their crisp and chewy texture. That texture—crisp on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside—is best if you use half rice flour, which is pretty easy to find these days. Serve the pancakes hot or at room temperature with a mixture of soy sauce and rice vinegar. Other vegetables you can use: corn kernels, radish (especially daikon), or broccoli.
In Cambodia, there’s a popular breakfast dish called bai sach chrouk, traditionally prepared over charcoal fires by roadside vendors. It’s served with rice and a bird’s nest of pickled shredded vegetables, and stands at the intersection of sweet, sour, savory, and spicy. This takes you there, any time of day. You can use this recipe with pork sirloin steaks, too. I also like to use this marinade for pork kebabs and boneless chicken.
Grilled fish and fresh salsa is one of my favorite combinations. The salsas here and in the variations are slightly offbeat, with vibrant flavors and textures that perfectly complement the mild sweetness of the fish. When fillets still have their skin on—the thin kind that’s edible—all the better. The fire will crunch it up for even more contrast. Bass and salmon are both great choices to try. These salsas also pair great with seared sea scallops.
Traditionally the fish for Baja-style tacos is batter-fried, but cooking the fillets on the grill makes more sense. It’s much quicker and a lot less messy. And grilling the cabbage before turning it into slaw adds another layer of smokiness. To retain heat for cooking the fish, keep the lid of the grill down while you put together the slaw and chipotle mayonnaise.
Excuse the superlatives; this spin on a Spanish tapa is my favorite, and everyone I serve it to loves it. The shrimp juices infuse the oil, and the sum is beyond delicious. It’s good with bread, over rice, tossed with pasta, or stuffed into tacos.
Other seafood you can use: similar-sized scallops (or larger, though they’ll take longer to cook).