Gourmet

Peppery arugula, sweet, ripe strawberries, and buttery hazelnuts create layers of contrasting flavor in this simple salad.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

It's common in Oaxaca to add mint to rice, adding a subtle herbal dimension.

This recipe was inspired by the version at Tramonti e Muffati restaurant, where the dish gets its distinctly Roman flavor from local mint, Sicilian lemons, and two-year-old Grana Padano cheese. The pine nuts are raw here, as Italians rarely toast them. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

Vanilla sugar keeps indefinitely and is wonderful sprinkled over French toast or on berries. It can also be used in place of sugar and vanilla extract when baking. You can add more sugar to the container and the bean will continue to infuse it. Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 2 days

In this recipe, based on a dish from the Republic of Georgia called tabaka, small chickens are flattened and weighted so they cook evenly and quickly. We call for poussins or Cornish game hens, but the same technique works well with a frying chicken.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Pea shoots are the tender, leafy branch tips of edible pea plants (not to be confused with flowering sweet peas, which are poisonous). There are huge variations in taste among shoots from different varieties, but the sweetest are those from edible podded peas.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min Servings: Serves 12 (as part of aïoli menu).

Why make your own pita when it's readily available at supermarkets? One bite of these, fresh and warm from the oven, will tell you exactly why. The dough is simple to make, and because the dough rounds are thin, they bake in less than 5 minutes. But if you don't have time to make your own, store-bought pita can be warmed, wrapped in foil, in a preheated 350°F oven.

The coating on these nuts is wonderfully delicate, and the method couldn't be simpler.

A dash of curry powder transforms this cool fruit soup into a sweetly savory first course.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

If venison isn't for you, beef tenderloin is a good alternative (see cooks' note, below). Because beef is not as dense and rich as venison, the portions are slightly larger (cooking times and temperatures will also be different).

Refried beans are typically made from pinto beans, but black beans work well, too. Add a dab of sour cream if you crave a little richness.