Condiment

This creamy Greek dip is king atop pita bread or pita chips, but it also finds a home alongside fresh veggies, grilled meats, or piping-hot falafel. If you are unable to find Persian cucumbers, feel free to substitute the English or hothouse variety.

Besides the slew of south-of-the-border specialties that you can spice up (nachos, quesadillas, or 7-layer dip, anyone?), think about using this in place of plain sour cream in your favorite casseroles like beef stroganoff or noodle kugel.

This is one of my favorite treats, and I like to keep it on hand at all times. It can take steak, lobster, baked potatoes, or roasted corn to new heights. Take a pat and jazz up your mashed potatoes or shrimp scampi. For an easy but oh-so-lush snack, drizzle some melted Sriracha butter over hot popcorn and then sprinkle lightly with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

If veggie sticks just don’t have enough oomph for you on their own, this may be the ticket that helps you get your recommended daily intake. Or maybe you’re just looking for something amazing to dunk your pizza crust in. Naturally, this makes for a tasty twist on the usual salad dressing, and I assure you that it’s absurdly good alongside Honey-Sriracha Glazed Buffalo Wings (page 40).

Yes, this is what your boring bagels have been clamoring for—you just didn’t know it. While it definitely adds a great kick to the more standard bagel varieties (egg, sesame, poppy, and so on), those who really like to start their day with fire-breath will rejoice once they’ve put a shmear on a toasted garlic, onion, or everything bagel. If you’re feeling extra ritzy, lox would certainly be a welcome addition to the party.

While certainly decadent enough on its own as a dip for crusty baguette or chewy ciabatta, this pesto is right at home as a base spread for all sorts of panini. Of course, it’s also a natural tossed in with penne or fusilli pasta (hot or cold), and it makes an excellent marinade or finishing sauce for chicken, salmon, or any delicate whitefish.

Dear Idaho: plant more potatoes. Once people swipe a fry or tater tot through Sriracha Ketchup, only two major food groups will exist: 1) Sriracha Ketchup, and 2) potatoes. Oh, did I mention this turns hash browns and home fries into a new kind of incredible? Besides its propensity for spuds, this crimson condiment works wonders for burgers, corndogs, hot dogs, meatloaf, and much more.

This simple combination looks relatively mundane, but I assure you it will become a staple in your refrigerator. Besides being beyond easy to make, it is extremely versatile and will jazz up any tired old sandwich. Try it in egg salad, on a burger, or as a dip for fries, or make your own spicy tuna rolls at home!

Why on earth would you want to make your own Sriracha? I mean, the bottled stuff is already amazing, and it’s actually cheaper to buy than it is to make. Um, because you can! Besides being delicious and pretty easy to make, there’s that cool sense of pride that comes with the DIY approach that money just can’t buy.

Yogurt is a wonderful international culinary staple that’s been subverted by American agribusiness. Contrary to popular belief, genuine yogurt is anything but the thick, overly sweetened blend you’re likely to find in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Designed as quickie substitutes for breakfast, too often they’re laden with copious sugar for a rapid ride on the glucose express. Real yogurt—the healthier version known to the rest of the world—is generally much lighter. It’s also served in a wider variety of contexts, such as Indian raitas, served as a condiment, and Greek tzatziki, a combination of cucumbers and yogurt served as a dip, condiment, or spread. Yogurt (the name is Turkish) is meant to refresh, and this version is an ideal topping on cucumbers, lamb, or Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers (page 112). When I first proposed this blend, one of my recipe testers looked at the long list of ingredients and asked, “all this for yogurt?” And then she took a taste …

In baseball, the utility man is the one who can do everything. He keeps four different gloves on hand in case he’s called on to play catcher, first base, the infield, or the outfield. I suppose he also does the team’s laundry between games of a doubleheader. I think of capers as my utility guys, capable of blending into many dishes from eggs to polenta. Capers, which are actually flower buds, are usually pickled. They may be tiny, but they pack a flavorful punch. Here, they’re blended with chopped olives and lemon zest to create a mouth-popping relish.

Drizzles and dollops are very helpful for people who are dealing with impaired taste buds as a result of treatment. Drizzles are a bit like Roman candles; they light up the palette. They’re lighter than dollops, but don’t be fooled; the parsley in this drizzle is like a whiff of pure oxygen. It’s that energizing.

Avocado sure knows how to tango with mango. As a taste and texture combo, it’s one of the most refreshing two-steps I’ve come across. Mangoes are sweet, but not overly so. Avocados are creamy, but with some heft. Together, they make for a fantastic salsa that’s especially great for people dealing with a metallic taste in the mouth due to treatment. With the added perkiness of the red bell pepper, cilantro, and lime, this salsa whirls around the dance floor of your palate.

Blueberries contain lots of pectin, which helps soothe the stomach, and one of their active compounds can help prevent cancer cells from getting nourishment.

This is an absolute go-to dish for people taking pain medication. Why? Because many pain meds, especially opiates, can stop up the works, if you get my meaning. This isn’t your typical fiber-laden, tasteless concoction. (Can you say bran muffin?) In addition to prunes, the traditional remedy, this compote also includes dried apricots and cherries, and we’ve also brought ginger and cardomom to the party. The result is a delicious compote that smells incredible while it’s cooking and goes great over oatmeal or on toast. For those days when you need a kick start, this blend will nudge you in the right direction. Believe me, it works. Before cooking the compote, it’s best to soak the fruit for a few hours, or preferably overnight, so plan ahead. This is great served warm or at room temperature.

When I was in high school, my idea of a great time was sitting on the floor with my best friend Jill and devouring a huge bag of pistachios while we discussed which cute boys we had crushes on. By the time we were done, we were knee-deep in shells and soul-deep in feminine solidarity. Little did I know we were also improving our health. Turns out those pistachios are their own wellness center, rich in potassium (for cell fluid balance and nerve function), magnesium (for enzymes that help catalyze the body’s energy), thiamine (for appetite stimulation), and vitamin B6 (for protein absorption).

The flavors in this wonderful chutney make it a good choice for brightening just about any dish.

Chutney is a relish, but believe me, it doesn’t taste anything like the relish you’re probably used to. Here the mellow sweetness of the pears plays perfectly against the tartness of the apricots. The sour-sweet combo leaves those taste buds wanting more, kind of like delirious rock fans screaming for an encore, and they’ll stay at the table until their demands are satisfied! This chutney is also a nutritious alternative to jam or jelly. Any pear will work for this recipe; some of my favorites are Bosc, brown Asian, or Anjou.

Sometimes I think that if we could get cars to run off almonds, you wouldn’t need more than a handful to go from San Francisco to L.A. Yeah, they have that much energy—twenty nuts are more than enough to get most people I know through a hunger rush—and they’re nutrient dense, so the body can put every calorie to work. It’s really easy to prep up a whole bunch of these; all it takes is a little olive oil, some seasoning, and a few minutes in the oven and they’re ready to rock. I often tell my clients to leave little bowls of these around the house so they’re constantly tempted to grab a healthy nibble.