Chermoula

A North African sauce traditionally paired with grilled seafood, chermoula is a delicious mix of fresh herb, earthy spices, and acidic preserved lemon.

Dried Chile Harissa

Harissa is a versatile condiment that can be used to add a punch of spice to anything. This version is made with dried chiles and can be used as a spice rub or hydrated with water for a paste that's ready to stir into dressings, sauces, and more. This is a stripped-down, entry-level harissa, that can be jazzed up with other spices or aromatics such as garlic, citrus zest, or even saffron.

Chipotle Fermented Hot Sauce With Garlic, and Cumin

Loosely inspired by Mexico's Cholula brand of hot sauces, this spicy homemade condiment is packed with the smoky flavors of chipotle and the bold funk of cumin and garlic.

Fresh Chile Harissa

Harissa is a punchy North African chili paste. This version is made with an assortment of fresh chiles that are charred and blended together for smoke and spice. It's simply seasoned with the traditional additions of caraway and coriander, but feel free to jazz it up with anything from diced preserved lemon to pungent raw shallots.

Cilantro Coulis

Herb sauces are great stuff: they let the flavor of an herb come through proud and clear while lightly cloaking food. But they are prone to breaking—let an herb purée sit for five minutes and the solids will clump together and leave an ugly pool of green water on the plate. A small pinch of xanthan gum will hold the sauce together and provide a velvety texture to what may otherwise be too thin.

Spicy Ful Medames (Fava Beans) With Olive Oil and Chile

Ful medames, stewed fava beans, is a staple dish all over the Levant. Some versions are mild mannered and comforting. This one, loaded with olive oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, and a kick of chile powder, is anything but. Serve it as a bean stew or mash up the beans and use it as a high octane dip.

Extra-Hot Yucatán-Style Roasted-Habanero Salsa (Chile Tamulado)

An incredibly fiery salsa from the Yucatán, made with charred garlic and habanero chiles. Use it sparingly on tacos, eggs, and anywhere you want a bit of brain-melting heat.

Tourshi (Armenian Pickled Vegetables)

These tangy, lightly-spiced pickled vegetables are an essential part of the Armenian table, and can be made with just about any crisp, edible-when-raw vegetable you can think of.

Tahini Sauce With Garlic and Lemon

The technique of blending whole unpeeled garlic with lemon to make tahini sauce was something I read in Michael Solomonov's Zahav. With this much garlic you'd think it'd be overwhelming, but don't worry, it stays quite mild due to blending it in the lemon juice.

Almost chimichurri

The perfect side for many beef or lamb dishes and it's really easy to throw together.