Mangia

This is retro and wonderful, and nothing at all like the flavored gelatin molds with fruit that you ate as a child. A refreshing mix of fruit teas and fresh berries, it is as pretty as can be and delicious as part of a summer buffet. Just the conversation it generates makes it worth trying! 

Besides being a great dip and spread,Hummus also makes a tasty stuffed pita sandwich, with the addition of cucumber, red onion, and tomato slices. 

The addition of yogurt sets this baba ghanoush apart and makes it Mangia's. As anyone who loves eggplant knows, this is a wonderful dip for wedges of pita or for vegetables. It is also very successful served as an accompaniment to lamb or chicken. We roast the eggplants over the gas burner on the stove top. If you'd rather not do that, you can roast them in the oven. We prefer the charred flavor that only comes when you use the open flame.

Eddie is one of the chefs at Mangia, and one day, out of the blue, he whipped this up. It is sensational as a dip for artichokes or as a sauce for roasted turkey or pork.

Fresh garlic is pungent and sharp. Roasted garlic is just the opposite sweet and mellow in flavor, silky in texture. Because it has a more subtle flavor, it becomes a lot more cooperative as an ingredient. We think it is a must in some of our sauces and salad dressing. We swirl it into soups as a finishing touch. It's even great smeared on bread.

Here is a great addition to a holiday table. Or use it on a more regular basis with roasted chicken or lamb. You can roast the grapes and the shallots at the same time, as long as you watch the individual cooking times; they are different.

Cooked onions, especially red onions, sweeten and caramelize and taste totally different from raw onions. This is great used as a spread on sandwiches or panini or served as a condiment with roasted meats and green salads. Some even like it on pasta.

This is perfectly wonderful with duck, or another poultry. You might also swirl it into a curried soup for an intriguing bit of additional flavor and body. You could also serve it with soft, ripe cheese, like Brie.

There is no better accompaniment to Yellow Tomatoes Stuffed with Lamb Sausage and Orzo than this cooling, refreshing sauce. It is also tasty spooned into pita pockets stuffed with crisp mixed greens.The best way to chop dill is not with a knife on a cutting board. Use scissors to snip the fronds into small pieces.

This applesauce is chunky and has character and a certain clout. Like most of our accent condiments and sauces, we use this in different ways: with beef, chicken, pork, or veal; as a sandwich spread; or alongside green salad, or a soft cheese.

Here vinegar serves to soften and flavor a combination of colorful vegetables. Use this as you would any relish, for spark, on sandwiches, roasted meats, and grilled or poached seafood.

Red and yellow bell peppers combine with harissa, a Tunisian hot chili sauce, to make a lively, rustic sauce that is especially good with meaty fish steaks, like tuna or swordfish. Or try it with chicken, zucchini, or string beans. If you don't have harissa, there is an easy solution: dried hot pepper flakes. In other words, heat is an integral part of this relish. Don't just leave it out.

This is a sweet sauce, with some tang from the apple vinegar and a little heat from the cayenne. Use it on pork, hamburgers, steak, barbecued beans, or shrimp. This is the sauce we use on our bestselling Barbecued Chicken with Toasted Fennel Seeds.

The bold flavors of Southern Italy- anchovies, black olives, and pancetta- make this sauce a superb foil for simple roast turkey . This is also good on pasta and as a topping for pan-seared cauliflower. Or use it as you would Tapenade -as a dip or a spread for sandwiches and panini.

You can use tapenade in sandwiches, as a dip, or to dress grilled fish, spread on toast as an appetizer, or swirl into vegetable soup. The powerful flavors of Provence olives and garlic-plus oil- packed anchovies, give it its singular Mediterranean esprit.

This can be used in countless ways, and unlike Classic Pesto it can be made year-round because of the availability of parsley. We like this best on sandwiches and panini. The variation with tasty capers with turkey or pork, in particular. 

If you grow your own basil at home, then you can whir up a batch of this whenever the spirit moves you. It is the flavor of summer, especially when served with home- or locally grown tomatoes. 

We love croutons at Mangia and make several different kinds. These are the ones we use in our Caesar Salad. Snack on them, add them to soups, toss a few into other green salads. The concern with croutons is not how to use them, but how to keep them in store. They are addictive. 

You can use any combination of fresh herbs you wish here. The points to remember are (1) only the leaves should be used; (2) they should be well minced; (3) avoid using large quantities of the strong-flavored herbs, such as rosemary, sage, or thyme. Choose milder-flavored ones, like parsley, basil, or dill. You want the mayonnaise to be fragrant, not pungent. 

Ancho chile peppers are poblano peppers that have been dried. Each has its own flavor, one quite different from the other. In different parts of Mexico, where the ancho chile is used profusely,cooks have different opinions about how to treat it. Some like to toast it, some fry it, and some rehydrate it, as described below. The real question, though, is its condition before you soak it in hot water. We find that the most important factor is the quality of the ancho chile you buy. It should be new, plump, and shining, even when dried. Chiles that are old and very dry do not have full flavor. Serve this mayonnaise with grilled swordfish, cold roast chicken, or cold roast beef. 

This is for anchovy lovers-and we are, so we make a lot. Don't be tempted to halve the recipe: Mashing anchovies takes time and, anyway, there are any number of wonderful ways to use this. Besides salads, spoon it over boiled potatoes, roasted vegetables, steak or roast beef sandwiches, croutons (before you toast them), or reheated pizza. 

When making vinaigrette, always use quality olive oil and vinegar. Vary the vinegar here, if you like. Red wine vinegar has more intensity than white wine vinegar and is good matched with more assertive herbs, such as oregano. Sherry vinegar, derived from the fortified wine, is a little stronger in character than red or white wine vinegar. Sherry vinegar has a golden hue and burnished flavor that complements roasted peppers, especially. Champagne vinegar is finer, still, with a lighter body and color. And then there is balsamic vinegar. Made from the juice of the Trebbiano grape, it has a distinctive sweet flavor and caramel color that come from aging in oak barrels. There are balsamic vinegars as rare as fine wines, with commensurate prices as well. A collection of vinegars allows for an interesting repertoire of vinaigrettes. We recommend having red and white wine vinegars, as well as balsamic, on hand as a matter of course. 

Ricardo grew up in a conservative household, in the middle of the last century, in Mexico, which didn't make it easy to learn his mother's cooking secrets and recipes. But, truly, persistence and chicanery paid off. This is one of Ricardo's mother's recipes. Someone asked about the whole peppercorns buried in the pork. Should you pick them out? Of course not! Eat them they will be soft and pungent. 

Inspired by Nancy's trip to Turkey, these tomatoes will taste even better if they've been grown in your own garden. In that event, use whatever color you have yellow or red. 

Here is the most reliable the little black dress, if you will of special-occasion dishes. And this filet becomes even more interesting when served, as we suggest you do below, with Mustard Applesauce spooned alongside the tenderloin slices. If you don't have time to make the applesauce, a good mustard or horseradish cream works, too.

This is an elegant combination for fall or winter, when you want the aromas of sweet fruit and rich duck cooking to fill your house. The chutney is an integral part of this dish, a must, lending just the right texture and tartness. Your butcher shop or any large specialty food store will bone duck breasts and trim them for you. Don't, for a minute, let that detail stand in the way of your making this. Wild rice or one of the suggestions below would make a fitting accompaniment.

Toasting seeds brings out their flavor, and you will be able to identify the cumin and coriander in the Indian marinade we use here. The longer you marinate the turkey, the better: We suggest 24 hours. You will need several accompaniments to serve with this. The reason we are advocating Yam and Fennel Salad is because it marries beautifully with the turkey. The salad has a pinch of cinnamon in the dressing.

Almost anything made with turkey is remarkably popular at Mangia, and that includes sandwiches and panini, salads, and soups. Plain roasted turkey begs for big flavor, and is a wonderful foil for many of the condiments and spreads we include in The Accents Table. So here is how we roast turkey breast that ends up flavorful and moist. Try it at home, and put it into service the same way we do in a variety of delicious ways. Figure about 15 minutes per pound in a preheated 350-degree F oven. If you don't want to separate the bone from the meat for easy slicing or serving, ask the butcher to do it for you. If you cannot find the larger size, we call for below, simply roast two 2- to 3-pound split breasts.

A chipotle chile is a smoked jalapeño a dried chile pepper, in other words. Most of the time, it is reconstituted with oils and vinegars. Sometimes it is ground and made into a sauce, which is quite easy to find in cans in specialty stores and some supermarkets. Its well with black beans, smoky flavor goes soups, corn salad, and chicken. These wings are a good example and a sure-fire hit. Nobody eats just one.

Asian-inspired dishes are very popular at Mangia. This is a superb party dish; its plating alone makes it appealing. The sauce is first-rate on its own, too, with roasted or steamed vegetables or tofu.

We serve these herbed breasts on Green Bean Salad. The colors are pretty together and the flavors compatible. This makes a lovely summer luncheon, and the chicken lends itself to being prepared in advance always a plus when it comes to summertime entertaining. 

Nancy, who has been chef at Mangia as it has grown over the years, does the ordering on a daily basis. It is nothing for her to order 300 pounds of chicken à per day. To say that chicken is popular is an understatement. This salad, in particular, is a hit at lunchtime. 

Our barbecued chicken is one of the first dishes to disappear at lunchtime when customers pour through the doors. It is delicious and different-the fennel seeds set it apart. 

With sweet and salty overtones, this rustic, vegetable-filled chicken stew shares some of the same ingredients tomatoes, raisins, and olives as the renowned Cuban beef dish, picadillo. This, of course, can be served hot. As it cools to room temperature, though, is when the flavors, especially in the sauce, are best. They meld together in an indescribably luxurious way. If you have any sauce left over, use it as the base for a soup. Simply reheat and add cooked beans or pasta. 

 Jumbo shrimp are the largest and most expensive available. Every bite is worth it. The look of this is magnificent-it's a party dish. 

This is our twist on the classic Italian salad of tuna and white beans, only far more elegant. On the basis of the ingredients alone jumbo shrimp, Gaeta olives, and prosciutto this is an entrée for a special occasion. You will need to start soaking the beans the night before you plan to serve this. 

This is a slight variation on the renowned Neapolitan seafood and pasta dish. It is wonderful served over plain pasta, too. However you serve it, accompany with it the best bread crusty find. And if you want to serve this hot, as opposed to waiting for it to cool to room temperature, which can be difficult because it smells so good, go right ahead.

We make this dish at Mangia with "dry" scallops-ones that have not been treated with chemicals. Chemicals tend to add to water weight, and liquid prevents scallops from searing properly. For the same reason, frozen scallops will not work here, either. "Dry" scallops sear well- exactly what you want in this dish.

This salad-an antipasto or main course has always been very popular at Mangia. Plan ahead when making this: The salad needs to marinate 1 day in advance of serving.

Some very fussy customers cannot live without this simple salad. Our version of this classic is very Italian, with a dash of Tabasco for a lick of heat.

Our take on the classic recipe from the South of France, with a nod to Italy. It requires some preparation, but you won't regret a minute of it once you take the first bite. And most of it, the individual components, that is, can be done in advance. This is an entrée for the summer solstice, for a dinner in the late lingering twilight, for family and friends.

Three different kinds of seeds cumin, coriander, and fennel encrust these tuna steaks, which we simply pan-fried. At Mangia, we like our tuna rare, deep red in the center. Follow the suggested timing below should you like it better done. If you have any tuna left over, place small chunks of it on tender lettuce leaves and serve as an hors d'oeuvre.

We like to use Spanish, not Hungarian, paprika for this recipe because of its smoky flavor. Spanish paprika is not as easy to find, however, and is worth hunting for under the label Pimenton de la Vera. When you find it, buy it.Paprika loses its punch if kept too long on the shelf. Check before using. It smells pungent when fresh.

The type of paprika you use makes a big difference. Szeged paprika from Hungary imparts a deep red color and round sweetness; here it balances the heat of the cayenne in the spice rub. Make extra rub and keep it in a jar in your cabinet. It is nice used on pork tenderloin, or sprinkled over potatoes before roasting.

This is a simple, foolproof way, possibly the best way, to cook salmon. For a winter dinner, when our suggestion of a cherry tomato salad as an accompaniment might seem a little light, why not make Buckwheat with Shiitake Mushrooms and Thyme or Whole Roasted Beet Salad with OrangeMoroccan Dressing or both. You will have plenty of time to fine-tune a menu, however you wish to do it, because the salmon takes barely a minute to prepare. The oven does the rest.

If you use a charcoal grill, as opposed to a gas or electric one, you know that the optimum moment for grilling depends upon a lot of factors, not the least of which is the weather or the way the fire was built. If you deal with those kinds of vagaries, this is the perfect recipe tomake. The salmon can be marinated and grilled ahead; it can even be refrigerated several hours in advance of serving. All you really have to factor in is the half hour that is needed for it to stand at room temperature to come to full flavor.

A Mexican spice rub enhances the sweet taste of red snapper. This entrée makes an easy summer meal with a salad and a bottle of crisp wine. Try it with the fresh cucumber and avocado combination we suggest below. You will feel as if you were dining in Veracruz.

Poaching guarantees moist fish, and here tomatoes, fennel seeds, and white wine provide subtle flavor. If your fish market does not carry halibut fillets, use halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick. While we like these with Pickled Vegetable Relish because it makes such a crisp counterpoint to the halibut, an herbed or spicy mayonnaise works nicely, too. A grain or green salad as an accompaniment, and there is the menu.

A simple poaching liquid, the French court bouillon, imparts flavor to cod fillets that are then topped with a Mediterranean-style fresh tomato sauce. You can make the sauce a day in advance if you like. It is also very appealing on roasted pork loin or grilled shrimp.

Tangy goat cheese and sautéed sweet peppers make a winning combination with lentils. This is simple to put together and quick to assemble, and has a subtle French feel to it. Serve with a platter of charcuterie, cold cuts, and a baguette.

Lentils and sausage is a classic combination. We especially like to use French green lentils here, which have, in fact,only a slight green tint to them. They are smaller than their cousins, brown lentils, and their taste is somewhat grassy, the reason to try them. Look for them in specialty markets.From a purely practical point of view, lentils, unlike beans, do not need to be soaked in advance of cooking. They also cook in about half the time. This makes a luscious weekend meal, with soup and a great bread.