COCONUT WITH HARISSA DIPPING SAUCE

This is an excellent sauce for any small fried bites such as tempura vegetables or fried shrimp. It’s also excellent with spring rolls and even dumplings. Harissa is a spicy red pepper paste that is common to North African cuisine. You can find it in Middle Eastern grocery stores or gourmet markets. Coconut nectar, which […]

TROPICAL FRUIT SALSA

Salsa is one of America’s most popular chip dips, but it could easily be so much more. We’ve created this version that pairs the usual tomato, chilies and onions with tropical fruit for a touch of sweetness and tang. This combination featuring mango, pineapple and papaya is great not just as a dip but also […]

BASBAAS

BasBaas is a spicy Somali sauce served mainly as a condiment to enhance otherwise mild Somali cuisine. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Indian cilantro chutney with a bright zing from lime juice. This is another one of those preparations that can be used as a dip, a condiment or as a traditional sauce […]

TAMARIND AND DATE SAUCE

Lovers of Indian food will recognize this tamarind and date sauce as a popular condiment for fried snacks such as samosas—the vegetable-or meat-stuffed triangular turnover. However, this sauce is also excellent as a dip for fried chicken wings or shrimp kebabs. It can also be spooned over seared chicken breast or filet mignon. Dates provide […]

CHINESE SCALLION AND GINGER SAUCE

This sauce is a great example of how the simplest preparations can offer the most complex tastes. This sauce is usually served as an accompaniment to dim sum in Chinese restaurants, and it is surely addictive. It’s great with dumplings, spring rolls and savory crêpes as well as pan-seared meats or stir-fried vegetables. It’s so […]

FIVE-SPICE AND BROWN SUGAR COMPOUND BUTTER

In this recipe, brown sugar combines with the warmly aromatic flavors of Chinese five-spice powder, which features anise, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel and cloves and is available in Asian markets. This particular mix is well balanced enough for both sweet and savory uses, but you can increase or decrease the amount of sugar to achieve […]

RUMMY FRUIT COMPOUND BUTTER

This fruit butter is based on the initial steps toward making Black Cake, a Caribbean Christmas cake for which Ramin is famous among our friends and family. The cake calls for dried fruits soaked in rum and puréed then added to a cake batter made with plenty of butter. Normally, the fruits for the cake […]

CANDIED GINGER AND APRICOT SAUCE

This elegant sauce came about after experimenting with dried apricots and candied ginger in a bread pudding that was spiced with cardamom and served with a saffron rosewater crème anglaise. The combination of tart, aromatic and astringent flavors was so heavenly it seemed a shame not harness them in a more a versatile form for […]

SALTED COCONUT SUGAR CARAMEL SAUCE

This vegan caramel sauce is sure to please everyone with its hint of coconut taste and salty notes. We like to use Hawaiian pink sea salt in this sauce, but the more readily available Himalayan pink sea salt works well too. Serve this sauce over angel food cake, pound cake or vanilla ice cream, or […]

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This unusual version of chocolate sauce uses Guinness stout with its caramel and honey notes and underlying toastiness. This sauce is as delicious mixed with milk for chocolate milk as it is over ice cream. 1 cup (240 ml) PREP TIME: 5 minutes          COOK TIME: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS ¾ cup (150 […]