Blender

FLAVOR BOOSTER Roasting maximizes the sweetness of fresh plum tomatoes (and preserves them for later use), perfect for making a delicious puréed soup that requires very little added oil or butter. Use any leftover roasted tomatoes as a topping for pasta or on sandwiches.

FLAVOR BOOSTER This modern take on velvety vichyssoise (potato-leek soup) contains no cream or even milk. Watercress adds surprising flavor—and color—to the warm soup.

SECRET INGREDIENT When puréed in a food processor, nonfat cottage cheese—high in protein but low in calories—becomes a smooth, creamy base for delectable cheesecakes such as this chocolate-espresso flavored version.

SMART SUBSTITUTION Half-and-half and chicken broth replace the standard heavy cream, lowering the calorie count of this vegetable bisque without diminishing its appeal. For a different flavor, use ground nutmeg or cloves in place of cinnamon, or add a little chili powder for a Southwestern version.

GOOD TO KNOW Puréed vegetables give soup the same sort of velvety consistency that cream does. Vegetables like sweet potatoes, because of their starch content, also lend body to soups and stews.

This is a spicy and aromatic stew of chickpeas and tender vegetables. It is delicious served with pita bread, Buttered Couscous (page 79) or Saffron Rice (page 62), and spicy harissa sauce.

What makes these cookies crisp is the mixing together of baking soda and boiling water before adding them to the batter.

Homemade hummus is very easy to make. If you don’t have any tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), a chickpea purée without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil.

This is a soup for the height of summer, when tomatoes are abundant and perfectly ripe.

Yellow bell peppers also work very well in this soup, but green peppers are not sweet enough. You can even make two batches of soup, one red, one yellow, and ladle them into bowls for a yin-and-yang effect.

This is a no-fail soup as long as you have fresh sweet corn. I make it all summer and vary it with different garnishes through the season.

This is one of the soups that I think are best made with water rather than broth, so nothing interferes with the sweet, delicate flavor of the peas.

This North African condiment is made from puréed sweet peppers and chiles. Use it to spice up a soup, roast meat, or grilled vegetables; as a sandwich spread; or as a sauce with rice or couscous dishes.

This is a variation of a North African condiment. It is redolent of coriander and complements saffron rice with vegetables or fish.

This bright-tasting sauce is a great accompaniment to grilled foods of all descriptions—steak, chicken, shrimp, or vegetables—and it is also wonderful as a dip for tortilla chips or as a sauce for tamales.

Tomatillo salsas vary greatly from region to region in Mexico. Some are boiled, some are fried, some are roasted, but all of them have the same distinct acidic taste that makes the tomatillo one of Mexico’s trademark ingredients. A batch of this salsa is made daily at my house; it’s always in my fridge. It’s my topping of choice for quesadillas.