YIELDS ¼ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons salt
Toast the cumin seeds until aromatic, a couple of minutes, in a toaster oven or in a hot, dry skillet while stirring or shaking continuously. Allow to cool before grinding.
Grind the cooled, toasted cumin seeds and the salt in a spice grinder.
Store at room temperature, tightly covered.
Red Pepper Butter Sauce
blender tomato hot sauce
This is the hot sauce we make regularly at the restaurant to ladle over burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, casseroles, and stuffed vegetables. Cooking the onions and peppers quickly on high heat brings out flavor with less simmering time.
YIELDS 2 CUPS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 small or ½ large bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can of tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
In a heavy saucepan or skillet, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Stir in the onion and bell peppers and sprinkle with salt. Cook on high heat, stirring often, until the peppers are blistered and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and cayenne or red pepper flakes and remove from the heat.
In a blender, purée the cooked onions and peppers with the tomatoes. Return the sauce to the pan, add the cilantro, and salt to taste. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If the simmering sauce splatters, partially cover the pan.)
This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.
INGREDIENT NOTES If you use red bell pepper, the sauce will be a brighter red.
Substitute a fresh chile, seeded for a milder “hot,” for the cayenne; cook it with the onion. For a smoky flavor, use 1 or 2 tablespoons of canned chipotles in adobo sauce in place of cayenne.
serving & menu ideas
Simmer vegetables such as onions, peppers, and zucchini in the sauce and serve over cornbread. Try it on Mexican Polenta-Stuffed Peppers or to cook the eggs in Poached Huevos Rancheros.
creamy caper sauce
A rendition of creamy white sauce—capers, herbs, and lemon make it different.
YIELDS 2 CUPS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
¼ cup butter
¼ cup unbleached white flour
2½ cups hot milk
⅓ cup dry white wine (optional)
2 tablespoons drained capers
½ teaspoon dried tarragon or dill
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
In a heavy saucepan on low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the hot milk, adding it in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the wine, capers, tarragon or dill, salt, and pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and add more salt and pepper to taste. (If you don’t add the wine, you may need to add a little extra milk.)
serving & menu ideas
This sauce is delicious on fish. Try it on pasta, too; it’s especially pretty on spinach fettuccine topped with chopped tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese. We sometimes add chunks of cooked salmon or steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets as well. Make extra to ladle on your favorite vegetable on a bed of couscous, rice, or noodles.
sauce niçoise
This pungent, quickly cooked sauce studded with olives and capers imparts the zesty flavors of southern France.
YIELDS 2 CUPS
TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ teaspoon dried thyme
In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, olives, parsley, capers, and lemon juice. Sprinkle generously with black pepper.
Warm the oil in a saucepan on low heat, add the garlic and thyme, and cook for a minute. Add the tomato mixture, increase the heat to medium-high, and simmer, stirring frequently, just until the tomatoes soften and become saucy, about 5 minutes.
INGREDIENT NOTE Dried thyme varies in freshness and potency, so use more or less depending on the strength and flavor of yours. If you have fresh thyme, use about 2 teaspoons.
serving & menu ideas
Grill, broil, pan-fry, or poach your favorite fish, and top it with Sauce Niçoise. It’s also good on shrimp or scallops. Stir some into Potato Salad with Green & White Beans to transform it into a fresh new dish.
red pepper butter sauce
This beautiful sunset-red sauce with flecks of green herbs turns pasta, vegetables, potatoes, or fish into a work of art. Leftover sauce keeps in the refrigerator for a week or two.
YIELDS 1½ CUPS
TIME: 10 MINUTES
½ cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup canned roasted red peppers (more or less is fine)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or basil (optional)
In a small skillet on medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook for about 3 minutes, until the garlic is golden. Remove from the heat.
In a blender on medium speed, purée the butter, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, and salt. Pour in the oil and garlic and whirl until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt if needed. If using dill or basil, stir it in by hand.
INGREDIENT NOTE To make the sauce with fresh bell peppers, stem, seed, and chop a large red bell pepper or 2 medium ones and cook in the oil with the garlic until soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Whirl in a blender with the butter, lemon juice, and salt until smooth.
serving & menu ideas
This sauce is excellent on pasta, such as penne or shells. For a beautiful color
