Adapted from Alice Waters's recipe (https://food52.com/recipes/14155-alice-waters-ratatouille)

Serves 3

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 bunch basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pinch dried chile flakes
• 1 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Salt to taste

A mash-up of two recipes was quite delicious and easy. A great late summer / early fall dish for when corn remains but days begin to cool.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups total of milk/cream/half and half
4-6 ears of corn, kernels cut off cobs and cobs reserved
4 oz (4 slices) bacon, chopped
1 large onion, finely diced (1 1/2 cup)
¼ cup all purpose flour

A few years ago when we visited Iceland, we had an amazing langostine stew at Fjörubordid near Reykjavik. It was so good, we detoured to return on our way back through. This recipe (which we haven't made yet) looks close to replicating it.

• 2 lb. shell-on whole langoustines
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (for stock)
• 2 carrots, minced (for stock)
• 2 stalks celery, minced (for stock)
• 1 large yellow onion, minced (½ for stock)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. paprika

An untried recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

• 2 lbs pumpkin
• 14oz (1 package) Firm tofu, optional
• 4 cups (2 cans) coconut milk (can use light milk, and/or sub in a cup of water)
• 3-5 tablespoons Vegetarian Red Curry Paste
• 8 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 chili peppers (fresh red thai, or 1 jalapeno)
• 2" fresh galangal (peeled and thinly sliced), or 2 T galangal powder (or ½ equivalent ginger)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 sprigs Thai basil

We used a marina de chiogga pumpkin, but any firm, yellow-flesh, slightly sweet/nutty pumpkin will do.

4 chicken thighs
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp salt
2 onions, finely chopped
¼ C nit'r qibe (spiced butter, or just unsalted butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1" grated ginger

2 tsp ginger
¼ tsp ground fenugreek
¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ C Berbere
2 T paprika
¼ C dry red wine
2 C water water

1 hard-boiled egg per person
Salt and pepper to taste

Break down, rinse, and dry the chicken pieces. Rub with lemon juice and salt.

In a heavy enamel stew pot, cook the onions, dry, over moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let brown or burn.

A really nice alternative summer gazpacho. If you don't like vinegar as much as I do, feel free to reduce the vinegar and/or lime juice proportions to taste. Courtesy of Bon Appetit.

¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, plus an optional ½ cup or serving
½ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 oz. ciabatta or country-style bread, crust removed, bread torn into 1” pieces (about 2½ cups)

I've had versions of this dish in various restaurants, but never attempted it at home before. I found a lot of recipes online and cobbled together a best of breed. This recipe isn't difficult, but it does take about 4 hours from start to finish.

On our vacation to Thailand a few years ago, we spent one of our days in Chiang Mai at the Thai Farm Cooking School. Some of the dishes we made were really delicious and frankly quite easy (if somewhat challenging to find all of the ingredients in the DC metro area).

From Bon Appetit halved (still serves four) and with some modifications:

Ingredients
3 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 jalapeños, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 1 can chickpeas)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 14-ounce can tomatoes (diced or whole+hand-crushed), juices reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
3/4 cup coarsely crumbled feta

WoW...

One of our favorite recipes from our signed copy of Jose Andres' Made in Spain cookbook. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
1 pounds fresh bonito or yellowfin tuna
2 slices day-old bread, preferably country-style
1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 large onions)
2 tbs minced garlic
2 medium green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 pound tomatoes (5-6 plum or 2-3 medium), roughly chopped

I had a hankering for Thai food since we're currently planning a trip to Thailand. I did a quick search, and voila! I modified the curry recipe from here. I have to admit this isn't the most authentic or even delicious green curry recipe, but frankly it's pretty easy to make and can be made mostly without often hard to find ingredients.

I personally prefer this recipe with extra firm tofu, but it could theoretically go with any protein. Fish or seafood would be best, followed by chicken.

Serves 4.

This recipe was super-easy and really delish! Courtesy of Yasmeen.

1 medium butternut squash
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup low fat Organic Greek Yogurt
1/2 a medium onion(about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of hot chili powder
1 clove garlic,peeled and finely chopped
third-inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
few leaves of fresh herbs, sage or rosemary
Few toasted pumpkin or squash seeds for garnish
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

From http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Thai-Spiced-Waterme...

For soup
5 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon (from a 4-lb piece, rind discarded)
1 fresh lemongrass stalk*
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons mild olive oil
1 small hot green chile such as Thai or serrano, finely chopped (including seeds), or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For crab

I grew up eating americanized gazpacho (from various supermarkets and restaurants) that, though good, has nothing on a true creamy Spanish-style gazpacho. On my first trip to Spain, I had an absolutely delicious gazpacho in a random (and probably tourist trap) restaurant on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I still remember that dish and seek out true Spanish-style gazpacho wherever I can.

So I was delighted to find, upon reading James Michener's Iberia on my second trip of Spain, a recipe for authentic gazpacho included in this wonderful travelogue of the author's time in Spain in the 1960s. Even though Spain has changed much since this book was written, it is still a very interesting account of the country, and I would highly recommend this book for anyone traveling there. (As a side note, unrelated to gazpacho, while I was in Toledo, I sought out a restaurant that Michener frequented and spoke with the owner, "la jefa," who fondly remembered him.)

(And back to the soup... beginning on p. 340, incidentally where my book is starting to come apart) Michener says "gazpacho is Spain," and he is absolutely correct. He tells the reader, "If you ever travel in Spain and come upon a restaurant that serves gazpacho, take it, because no other dish in the country will you remember with such affection." After describing the recipe, he remarks "No part of this strange recipe sounds very good, but taken together and properly blended, these ingredients produce a soup which is as distinctive as vichyssoise."

Whenever I make gazpacho, I use Michener's recipe because I know it is pure, authentic Spain. No exact measurements, no modern interpretations - just the soup as it has been made for generations. In describing the typical preparation, he notes that Spaniards prefer the soup made with one cup of olive oil and no more than a tablespoon of vinegar. He then says that "Americans, of which I am certainly one, prefer not more than a quarter cup of oil and four tablespoons of vinegar." After a bit of experimentation, we found ourselves somewhere in the middle. This recipe is our version of the dish, americanized to be sure, but all Spanish heart.

There is no "real" recipe to Jon's chili beyond the base set of ingredients and improvisation with spices and available ingredients. If there are fresh peppers, they go in. If there's homemade salsa, it definitely goes in. Beer (Shiner Bock I find is best) cuts the spice level nicely without removing the flavor.

I sautee the onion/garlic/jalapenos until tender, then add the meat and brown it. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add whole habaneros and the first spices (salt, pepper, first group of spices). Add 4 cups of water and some beer and bring to a boil.

This is an abomination, mixing in Guinness into a cottage pie.

The Guinness stew recipe parts are pulled from this recipe; the Shepherd's (lamb) and Cottage pie ingredients have been pulled from here and Epicurious. Cooking for Engineers has a nice pictoral guide.

TVP Chunk can often be found in Caribbean markets

3 cups TVP beef Chunk or mince
1 bag (4 c) Brown Lentils
1 cup red peas, soaked overnight, or 1 can (optional)
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cumin
1 tbsp sage (if fresh, finely chopped)
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
4 jalapenos
2 limes worth of juice
2 c cheddar cheese
black pepper
2 smallish medium onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
32oz crushed or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Bottle Beer (Shiner Bock, Red Stripe both work well)

Inspired by a soup served at Hotel Mockingbird Hill, Jamaica, which is captured here and here.

Serves 4-6 as a side

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Turkey Carcass Soup V.2 - Venezuelan "Chicken" caldo

I was making turkey carcass soup (http://audreyandjon.com/recipes/turkey-carcass-soup) and it ran away from me into a soup styled after the fantastic caldos de pollo I had in Merida, Venezuela. Here's a discussion of Spanish Caldos. Venezuela is not big on spicy foods, so I concentrated on savory spicing and the broth itself.

1 liter turkey broth/soup with ~ 1 cup of turkey meat. It's best if there's still some turkey fat included.
1 can diced tomato

Soak overnight: 3 cups dried black beans 2 cups dried black-eyed peas 2 cups dried pintos Other beans as available

Rinse and cover with 2" of water add 32oz of veg stock salt port (4 slices of fatty bacon work well!) 2 cans diced tomatoes 2 jalapenos, chopped (or 1 scotch bonnet or habanero, left whole) 2 medium onions, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced
spices to taste (use a LOT, beans soak it all up):

salt
pepper
rosemary
thyme
cumin
chili powder or (better) powedered chipolte peppers
a dash each of:
allspice
paprika

bring to a boil, add:
1 cup green lentils