Recipes & Menus

The formula for this cooling summer soup couldn’t be simpler: blended cucumbers, tomatoes, and sweet red peppers, plus garlic, herbs, and fresh citrus.

These creamy black-eyed pea patties are flavored with mushroom, miso, tamari, and Scotch bonnet chiles. They’re finished off with a sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauce and a spoonful of chowchow.

Canning and preserving have long been an essential tactic of survival, and chowchow is a condiment born of both ingenuity and necessity. Here, green tomatoes not yet ripe enough to eat are transformed into a bright pickled expression of the first days of summer. It has been said that chowchow began as a collection of remnant produce that couldn’t be used in other dishes, so it became its own reclaimed relish. As you chop each vegetable, consider that origin: making the most from the least, creating abundance from scarcity. You can use four heatproof glass pint jars for this, though I prefer eight 8-ounce jars instead so I can share it around. Using pickling salt, such as Morton Canning & Pickling Salt, helps the liquid stay clear and keeps the cabbage from turning brown.

This Caesar salad works in flavors from the African American kitchens in the Lowcountry. That means fresh tomatoes, fried okra, cornbread croutons, and a zesty red bell pepper dressing that ties it all together.

Potato salad gets a fresh burst of flavor from a dose of Jamaican jerk seasoning. The spicy rub is the foundation of the creamy dressing, where some of the heat is quelled by rich mayonnaise.

Sweet peaches, spicy pimento cheese spread, and smoky grilled bread combine in this ultimate summer toast.

As with any fermented food, timing will depend on the ambient temperature (the hotter it is, the faster it will go). Indoor temperatures were about 68°F—72°F when we developed this recipe and that’s what our time range reflects, so use it just as a guideline. If possible, 82°F is ideal. Most important though will be checking for signs that indicate the batter is ready (bubbly, airy, and sour).

This Ethiopian dish of chickpeas in a berbere-spiced, flaxseed-thickened sauce makes for a quick, filling, and wonderfully flavorful meal.

Throw chopped celery stalks into a juicer (or blender) for a refreshing cocktail base. The vegetal flavor is mellowed by citrusy Lillet blanc and lemon juice, while its savory side is supported with mezcal and a pinch of smoked salt.

Tart, bitter orange kisses roasted agave.

A classic recipe gone rogue.

A triple hit of earthy flavors.

This is our Mexico-inspired twist on a classic cocktail called the Bee’s Knees, a light and refreshing drink made with gin, lemon, and honey syrup. The Killer Bee replaces the gin with mezcal.

Smoky mezcal, fresh pineapple juice, serrano chile, and cilantro—this is one of my favorite cocktails. The mezcal gives it some edge, and the pine­apple makes it easy drinking. 

I created the Arinato to be a lighter stirred drink and to celebrate the more delicate sides of mezcal. I use the 80-proof Ilegal Joven; paired with floral fortified wines, it makes for an easy-sipper that proves how elegant mezcal can be.

The national drink of Martinique.