Simple Cooking

These light and airy biscuits owe their texture to three leavenings: yeast, baking soda, and baking powder.

Editor's note: Use this sauce to make Myron Mixon's Smoked Whiskey Wings . I have heard people eating barbecue at festivals say that "the sauce makes the barbecue." It's not true. The smoke makes the barbecue. The sauce is a finisher. It's what you put on your meat after it cooks to enhance its appeal. It can add a great punch, but I've had plenty of delicious barbecued meat with no sauce at all. I've been around barbecue sauces of different stripes all of my life. My family's sauce recipe, which my parents were just beginning to market when my father suddenly passed away, is what got me into cooking competitive barbecue in the first place. We have always preferred a hickory-style sauce, meant to closely evoke and complement the flavor of hickory-smoked meats. It's world famous and a secret recipe, so the only way you'll taste the original is to order it from me, but if you insist on not giving me your business, here's a reasonable approximation that is still damn delicious.

Rainbow chard is especially pretty pickled, but any variety will work.

This pesto is an inventive way to use every part of the vegetable. The tender tops are fresh and clean-tasting and mimic the flavor of the carrot itself.

Brined birds taste better. Here's our all-purpose buttermilk-based recipe, along with four souped-up variations.

Aperol is similar to Campari but sweeter and less boozy. This recipe works with either one.

For the record: Sherbets may contain some dairy, unlike sorbets, which do not.

Toss the classic Italian combination of ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil with pasta shells for a dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes.

A dollop of yogurt keeps these pops from being too icy, and we love the way the ginger adds a little spice.

Grill the tomatoes just before you place the eggplants in the coals.

Jeremiah Bacon, The Macintosh, Charleston, SC: "Infused simple syrup rounds out the flavor of cantaloupe for this quick dessert."

Once you've charred them, you can drizzle these eggplants with your best extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some coarse salt for a simple side. But they're even better paired with one of the three luscious sauces (Yogurt and Sumac Sauce , Smoky Tomato Sauce , or Lemon-Mint Sauce ) and some grilled flatbread or pita.

Rinsing the cooked couscous stops the cooking and prevents it from sticking together as it cools.

Look for thicker fish fillets, which will give you the ideal breading-to-fish ratio.

Squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.

This spicy, sticky glazed chicken features sambal oelek, a bright and punchy chile-packed condiment, giving these grilled skewers a very convincing comeback.

Ryan Lowder, The Copper Onion, Salt Lake City: "The cantaloupes we get here are really sweet, so we counter that with savory flavors."

This drink is named for the Honolulu neighborhood where Town, Chef Kenney's restaurant, is located.