Sauce

It's just as tasty without booze but only as good as the chocolate you use, so shop accordingly.

Cream of tartar is optional, but it keeps the sugar from crystallizing, making this caramel foolproof.

Piuma makes big batches of this bright North African sauce to minimize at-home chopping, then uses it all week.

Because of the brothy marinade, the skin won't get as crisp as with other roast chickens, but the flesh will be so tender, you'll want to eat it with your hands.

We love the rich, salty flavor of anchovies, especially with lamb, but we don't really want to bite into one. Chop until they're practically a paste.

Miso and hot pepper paste are at the root of every ssam sauce, but no two household's are the same. Tweak it to your liking.

Solar salt is coarse and crunchy and keeps its shape; Asian markets stock it, but kosher salt is fine, too.

This fish is topped with cilantro, but it's also great with pickled ginger.

This ubiquitous and essential condiment is a bright and spicy mix of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter flavors.

This revelatory sauce starts with a dry caramel, meaning no water is added to the sugar. It will take on color quickly and is less likely to crystallize.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Eggplant Napoleon . The first time I ever tasted pesto, I was hooked. I remember the first meal I made using it like it was yesterday—linguini tossed with pesto, topped with fried eggplant and served with fresh home-baked bread. When I use pesto this way, as a sauce, I generally make it with pine nuts. If I'm going to incorporate it into a dish, I use almonds, which are less expensive.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Brussels Sprouts with Panko . Tahini sauce, a smooth blend of toasted sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil, is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern kitchens. It is the condiment. There is hardly a dish that isn't enhanced by it—drizzled on Falafel sandwiches and over Brussels Sprouts with Panko; blended with pureed chickpeas for Hummus and with charred eggplant for Baba Ghanouj. My favorite Whole Fried Fish is served with this sauce mixed with parsley. At Tanoreen, I mix it into salad dressings and drizzle it into cauliflower casseroles. My daughter? She dips French fries into it! Learn to make this and you will have a simple, delicious, versatile sauce to add to your repertoire.

Editor's Note: Serve this sauce with Cathal Armstrong's Corned Beef

Cabbage is my new favorite vegetable chip—especially sprinkled with toasted caraway and dipped in yogurt.