Generations of southerners have tucked fresh hot chiles into vinegar for a pungent homemade hot sauce that sits right next to the salt and pepper on the table.

I love salads. I enjoy creating them and eating them. In the test kitchen, salads have given me something of a reputation.

The garlic-nut sauce known as tarator, which sometimes also includes tahini, is a classic Turkish accompaniment to mussels and fried fish as well as vegetables.

Roasted garlic has a mellower flavor than raw, and it can be used as a time saver in many ways beyond this mayonnaise. Squeeze it out of its papery shell as needed to add to soups or to make a mild garlic butter....