How to Read a French Fry: and Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science

rajas (grilled peppers and cream) Rajas—strips of grilled peppers with their thin, papery peel removed—can be eaten either as a taco filling or as a vegetable side dish with a fairly bland main course. I like them with sausages. Queso ranchero is a tangy Mexican cheese that is mildly salty and melts easily. Like many other Mexican dairy products, i

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brussels sprouts and bacon The brussels sprouts are first steamed, to keep them from developing that nasty mustardy smell, and then sautéed. Their pan sauce is almost like a hot vinaigrette, with the oil coming from the bacon fat. It’s important to cook the bacon slowly over medium-low heat so that it renders as much fat as possible without burning

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crisp-skinned salmon on creamy leeks and cabbage If you don’t cook salmon properly, the skin winds up moist and slimy—something you peel off and push to the side of the plate. But the skin can be one of the starring features. The secret is to cook it so it crisps and renders the fat just underneath it. That way, the skin becomes crisp and flavorful

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baked tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella Baking tomatoes briefly brings out all their flavor while allowing them to keep their shape. A few drops of balsamic vinegar provide that full-summer tanginess. Serve these as a side dish or a light main course. 6 medium-to-large tomatoes Balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 anchovy fillets,

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roasted beet and orange salad Roasting beets concentrates their flavor and sweetens them nicely. Be careful when you unwrap them, as the red anthocyanin pigment will leak from the cut surfaces—and it will definitely stain. You can toast the nuts in the oven if you wish, in a single layer on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, or you can do it on t

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radicchio al forno Just as with onions, roasting drives off much of the bitterness in radicchio, leaving a sweet vegetable with an intriguing edge. For this dish, I prefer to use the long-headed Treviso radicchio (it looks something like a red-blushed Belgian endive) because, when cooked, it seems to be creamier and sweeter than the more familiar r

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Any fruit —including the tomato—that is still ripening should be stored at room temperature until it has softened and sweetened as much as it can. Moreover, chilling inevitably damages the enzymes that help create the flavors in fruits like tomatoes, peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. It is far better to use such fruits as soon as they are ri

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