Simple Cooking

Roasting lemons and shallots brings out their natural sugars and imparts a smoky flavor as well. Try variations, too, such as oranges and large cloves of garlic.

These smoky flavored olives are always the first thing to disappear off an antipasti platter or hors d’oeuvres spread. The brightness of the orange zest enhances the earthy flavors of the olives; you can use freshly squeezed orange juice if you don’t have zest. I love to serve these straight from the oven, still warm.

In India, chutneys are used as condiments to accompany curries. In our culture, they can be used to brighten up any number of roasted or grilled meats or fish. This version is grilled over a wood fire. Chutney can be made from a variety of fruits combined with raisins, an acid such as vinegar or juice, ginger, and some traditional Indian spices to create a fabulous condiment. Its flavors will continue to develop during storage.

Caponata is a classic appetizer spread that has the sweet and sour balanced components of many Mediterranean dishes. Here, the eggplant, red pepper, and onions are cooked in the wood-fired oven before being combined with salty capers and toasted pine nuts. It can be added to a pasta salad or used as the filling in an omelet or frittata.

Smoked sea salts add a burst of flavor to raw and cooked foods when used as finishing or condiment salts. The options and flavors you can create are limitless. Anything from the aromatics list (opposite) will impart magical flavor to pure sea salt. Take it a step further and add other flavorings by tossing them into the salt before smoking.

This dessert captures all the smells and tastes of fall. Similar to its cousin, pineapple upside-down cake, it is easily prepared in a cast-iron skillet, then turned out on a plate along with its syrup. Sweet potatoes serve as a binder and sweetener in this cake. Serve it with a dollop of tangy crème fraîche or a little warm caramel sauce.

This dessert is always a hit in my cooking classes. The combination of chocolate, cinnamon, and smoky chipotle often appears in Southwest American and Mexican cuisine, and the flavors marry beautifully in a wood-fired cooking environment. If you want a bit more heat, add more chile paste. You can also add a touch of chile powder to the Cinnamon-Caramel Sauce.

This is John Ash’s recipe for a fun and easy one-dish dessert. Although there is some debate on what makes a “grunt,” the definition seems to be that grunts, which are also called slumps, are simmered rather than baked in the oven. They are usually made with berries and the name supposedly comes from the sound the berries make as they simmer!

This dessert is so simple, yet so tasty. It’s fun to do at a campfire or in a backyard fire pit. Once the pineapple is secured to the spit with prongs, all you need to do is baste it with the rum syrup every few minutes until it’s beautifully golden. The aromas from the syrup and the caramelizing pineapple are mouthwatering! Serve it with a slice of pound cake or, better still, with ice cream.

Many dense cakes such as pound cake can be grilled with great success. The grilling lightly toasts the cake and adds depth to the flavor. Here, Joanne Weir shares her favorite Mediterranean version, grilled polenta cake topped with seasonal berries tossed in a fruit sauce. Note: Make the cake a day in advance, and the berry compote several hours in advance so the flavors have time to blend.

Bruce Aidells is a big fan of wood-fired cooking. Because a wood-burning oven has the ability to hold heat for long periods, it’s ideal for long, slow cooking overnight. Chili has become such a popular American classic that there are chili cookoffs and festivals held all over the country. Chili con carne has its origins in the slow-cooked stews from Mexico. One such stew, chili colorado, was no doubt made in clay pots and cooked overnight in the village baker’s oven. In this recipe the ingredients are just combined and cooked slowly over a long period of time.

This version of a classic clambake was designed a La Caja China box roaster. If you don’t have one, use a large stockpot layered with 4 inches of seaweed, then loaded and cooked as directed, using a wood-fired grill or a wood-fired oven. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, then remove the lid and cook until tender. Note: You’ll need about 5 pounds (1 gallon) of seaweed for this recipe.