Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté

At the risk of getting called a donkey, this Italian antipasto recipe from Gordon Ramsay is hereby dubbed rolls of zucchini instead of courgettes. Slivered almonds are folded into a creamy mixture of ricotta cheese, basil, and lemon juice to create the filling. Nestled in paper-thin strips of zucchini and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, these bite-sized rolls are an excellent starter to any meal, Italian or not.

Using the best of seasonal summer produce in zucchini and basil, it also needs no heat to prepare — perfect for days when the thermostat can barely keep up with the heat.

View Ricotta-Stuffed Zucchini Rolls recipe »

It’s easy to dismiss these seeded crackers as health food based on the name alone, but unlike the bricks of sawdust available at your local GNC, these actually taste great. Coarsely ground sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, and sesame seeds are slightly sweetened with honey to create crispy morsels that put any off-the-shelf cracker to shame.

It’s good enough plain, but there are a lot of flavoring and glazing options for the finished crackers. Sugary toppings or spiced oils can quickly transform the crackers into something either sweet or savory. My preference involves a little of both — a simple honey glaze topped with a light sprinkling of kosher salt.

View Sesame Flaxseed Crackers formula »

Pureed corn miso soup and a poached egg served with Tofu Dengaku – broiled tofu with sweet miso topping and toasted sesame seeds.

Click: the photo event hosted by Jugalbandi

This simple recipe for making succulent morsels of carnitas requires nothing more than pork, salt, and water. Whereas braising usually calls for searing the meat before cooking slowly in liquid, this method is the exact opposite. The pieces of pork shoulder are slowly simmered first then browned in its own rendered fat.

View Carnitas recipe »

Making quick work of huge disks of sourdough is easy with this well-loved Catalonian procedure for seasoning bread with garlic, tomato, and olive oil. There are hordes of fanatical pa amb tomàquet devotees just about everywhere, so I would think twice about referring to this as Spanish bruschetta.

View Pa Amb Tomàquet - Catalan Bread with Tomato recipe »