Condiment

An aromatic syrup that calls to mind the clean smell of the forest enhances the flavor of fresh blueberries. Also, since it's poured over the berries while hot, it colors them a gorgeous sapphire and softens them, making their burst in the mouth even more intense.

Editor's note: The recipe is from Susan Curtis and Nicole Curtis Ammerman's book Santa Fe School of Cooking: Flavors of the Southwest.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text are from Dana Slatkin's book The Summertime Anytime Cookbook. With an appealing assortment of textures and flavors, this simple yet unexpected whitefish preparation will enhance any evening. In case you're not familiar with kohlrabi, it's part cabbage, part root; looks like a small, light green (or sometimes purple) turnip; and tastes like a cross between celery root and broccoli stem. This dish is flexible enough that you can substitute any mild fish, such as halibut, red snapper, or John Dory, or swap the kohlrabi for broccoli or cauliflower.

Three varieties of basil combine to make a powerfully fragrant and versatile topping for pasta, chicken, or fish.

Tomatoes, originally native to South America, were not introduced to Italy until the sixteenth century. Now, of course, it's almost impossible to think of Italian cuisine without dozens of delicious tomato-based dishes coming to mind.

This sweet-savory condiment is delicious with roasted or grilled meats.

Brown sugar gives this pear butter a caramel-like flavor.

Mix this relish into tuna or chicken salad, or serve with burgers or hot dogs.

This tahini-based sauce serves as the foundation for mezes like hummus and baba ghanouj throughout much of the Mediterranean, but it's also a wonderful sauce in its own right, showing its versatility by adding a nutty, lemony hit to the kùfte or to vegetables or fish.

The small, knobby tubers called Jerusalem artichokes grow wild all along the Eastern Seaboard, and southerners have long prized their sweet, nutty crispness in turmeric-spiked relishes and pickles. Countless cooks south of the Mason-Dixon Line have inherited a yellow-stained index card that reads something like this.

Substituting rice vinegar (instead of cider or wine vinegar) produces a pickle that's less tart.

Editor's note: To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A. ** Peppery and piquant, this vinegar sauce is the preferred condiment of eastern North Carolina. In the western part of the state, the sauce becomes more tomatoey, while in southern parts of the Carolinas, mustard sauce reigns supreme. **

Preserved lemons are perhaps most at home in Moroccan dishes, but we love their complex, bright flavor and aroma in all kinds of soups, stews, and salads. We've adapted Mediterranean-food authority Paula Wolfert's quick method and made it even faster by blanching the lemons first. If you manage to find Meyer lemons, this is a great way to capture their unforgettable taste and perfume.

The Japanese are wild about pickles, pickling practically every vegetable and root they come across—and in sweet, salty, sour, and bitter incarnations to boot. In this classic, a hit of wasabi powder adds a subtle heat to these savory quick pickles.

**Editor's note:**The recipe below is adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com. This rub originally accompanied Karmel's recipe for Slow-Cooked Texas Beer Brisket .

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . This rub has all the classic barbecue notes: salt, spice, sweet, and smoky. It is particularly great on ribs but works with pork chops and tenderloin, chicken and even catfish for an authentic low 'n slow barbecued flavor.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A. A good barbecue sauce is a study in contrasts: sweet versus sour, fruity versus smoky, spicy versus mellow. Here's a great all-purpose sauce that's loaded with flavor but not too sweet. It goes well with all manner of poultry, pork, or beef. The minced vegetables give you a coarse-textured sauce, which I happen to like. If you prefer a smooth sauce, puree it in a blender.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from How to Grill, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A. OK, this is ground zero—the ur American barbecue rub. Use it on ribs, pork shoulders, chickens—anything you want to taste like American barbecue. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons per pound of meat. A 4-pound chicken will take 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. You'll find hickory-smoked salt available in the spice rack of most supermarkets. To make a spicier rub, substitute hot paprika for some or all of the sweet paprika.