Chile

Thai salads are full of crisp vegetables and fruits mixed with intense condiments.

This is the definition of minimalist Thai cooking. The steam not only gently cooks the fish until just tender but also creates an instant, complex sauce from a handful of basic ingredients. Scoring the fish's flesh allows more of the flavor to season the fish and facilitates faster steaming. The fish is cooked on a plate that fits inside the steamer, to catch the juices.

All Thai curries start with a handful of aromatic ingredients (chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, etc.) pounded into a paste with a granite mortar and pestle. The paste is then stirred into soups or stews (often with coconut milk), or used as the basis of sautéed dishes. Use a mini-processor to make the curry paste if you'd like, although this incendiary stew will take on a deeper flavor if you can use a granite mortar and pestle.

Letting the hot steak rest over a platter of frisée serves to gently wilt the greens.

Drizzle this fragrant honey over your favorite cheese, or use it as a condiment on prosciutto panini.

The fresh herbs in this dish— part of the gluten-free menu at Boston’s Myers + chang—add lots of flavor, so don’t even think about skimping!

Okay, so sushi is a little ambitious for a weekend. But this easy spicy tuna roll recipe? You've got it in the bag.