Dairy Free

Though available prepackaged, homemade five-spice powder is far more pungent and flavorful than store-bought. Rub it on fowl, fish, and meat.

Be sure to let the brine cool completely before pouring it over the thinly sliced vegetables. If submerged in hot liquid, the zucchini and onions will quickly turn soggy and won’t retain their shape or texture during pickling.

These make a wonderful addition to any summer salad or antipasto. They can also be served as a side dish with roasted or grilled lamb.

The relish can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; add the salt just before serving.

If you are concerned about raw eggs, use store-bought mayonnaise, and begin at step 3. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

You can substitute 3 tablespoons powdered pectin for the liquid pectin. Dissolve it in 1/2 cup warm water before adding it to the mint mixture.

Known as nuoc cham, this Vietnamese table sauce is used to season dumplings, soups, and noodle dishes.

This dish calls for purple globe eggplants. Instead of cooking them over an open flame, you can use the oven: Place the eggplants on a shallow baking pan, and place under the broiler. Broil, turning the eggplants every 5 minutes, until the skin is blackened all over and the flesh is falling-apart tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

We like to serve grilled fish over a coulis made by pureeing half the salsa until smooth and adding olive oil until the mixture is the desired consistency.

Use this stock as a base for dishes such as seafood chowder, bisque, stew, and risotto.

This is a good vinaigrette for a simple green salad. Use extra-virgin olive oil if you prefer a fruitier flavor.

Dashi is a simple stock integral to Japanese cooking. The broth is used in both cold and hot soups and is delicious warm, all on its own. The ingredients may be found at an Asian grocer.

This classic marinade pairs nicely with almost any meat, particularly shellfish and fish fillets. Be careful not to marinate shellfish for longer than 20 minutes; the acid in the lemon juice will cook the flesh.

This goes remarkably well with steak.