I’m fortunate to live in Astoria, a neighborhood in New York that’s really four or five ethnic enclaves stacked on top of each other. Though traditionally Greek, Astoria’s also home to Italians, Egyptians, Serbians, and plenty of other ethnicities I can’t pin down yet. As you can imagine, the food here is pretty sweet.

And it better be. Astorians are finicky eaters and terrifying shoppers. To keep them happy, even modest groceries carry at least three kinds of spiced sausage, feta from six countries of origin, and enough varieties of olive oil to displace everything else in your pantry. I’ve never seen an Astorian fail to find their favorite version of some imported food, and for the sake of my the cashiers at my shops I hope I never have to.

It was while browsing the honey aisle (yes, aisle) of my local import food shop that I came up with the idea for this ice cream. A jar of pine honey caught my eye, and given how much attention Ethan and I give to honey varieties, I felt obligated to try it in some ice cream.

tart your meal with a hummus variation that’s much more exciting than your average storebought tub and will help you get through the abundance of summer squash that’s currently flooding your garden. This dip highlights the smoky flavor of roasted squash and the herby richness of za’atar. Don’t want to crank on your oven? Try grilling the squash for that smoky char! This is the perfect simple salad to ride next to the main dish at your cookout tonight and then serve as an easy vegetarian lunch tomorrow. Ideal for a summer feast, this bulgur salad is colorful and light, incorporating fresh herbs, walnuts, apricots, radicchio, and a lemony dressing. Like with any grain salad, this is infinitely adaptable—we like the idea of adding pine nuts or dates! Grilling with skewers is always a fun option for dinner and this kofte kebab recipe takes the basic skewer one step up from the ubiquitous chicken-pepper-onion combo. The kebabs are made with a heavy dose of spice and are accompanied by a harissa yogurt sauce that’s simultaneously cooling and punchy. Try filling a pita or flatbread with a scoop of bulgar salad, one or two kebabs, and a dollop of sauce for a handheld dinner you can eat while still mingling with your guests.

Oil doesn’t hit you over the head in this ice cream—that’s the rosemary’s job. Its alpine punch recedes as the ice cream melts on the tongue, giving way to the sweet, resinous honey. The olive oil glides across the finish, smooth and ethereal. It also lightens the texture as something of a respite from all the cream, making for an easily scoopable ice cream that melts effortlessly in your mouth.

If serving on its own, drizzle on some more olive oil and sea salt for a Mediterranean sundae. I used it to round off slices of generously spiced honey cake, but I’m itching to try it with baklava, another Astoria specialty. But what kind of baklava?, the Astorian may ask. You’re on your own there—I’m keeping out of that fight.

Max Falkowitz writes Serious Eats’ weekly Spice Hunting column. He’s a proud native of Queens, New York, will do just about anything for a good cup of tea, and enjoys long walks down the aisles of Chinese groceries.

Over the course of all my vegan comings and goings, there’s one motto that’s constantly been repeated in my head. Always be prepared. (Any similarities to existing mottos is completely coincidental.) Nowhere is this more apparent than with lunch.

I’m the kind of thoughtful, loving husband who likes to ensure that his dogs and his wife are well-fed at all times, which means checking the fridge every day before I head into the office to make sure that there’s an adequate supply of ready-to-eat (or at least ready-to-heat) food to satiate them during the eight to 12 hours I’m out. It’s a purely selfish endeavor, really. I just can’t stand the thought of coming home to emaciated stick-figure versions of my loved ones listlessly pulling their skin and bones along the floor, Walking Dead-style, gnawing at the edges of the table or my oh-so-non-vegan leather couch in a desperate attempt to absorb nutrients.

Kofte kebabs have seasoning built right into them, packing more flavor in less time. It’s the kind of thing that comes off looking and sounding very impressive, but is really no more difficult to make than a hamburger.

Note: Kofte Kebabs are traditionally made with lamb, however, ground beef or pork can be substituted. Harissa is a Tunisian spice pasted made from piri-piri peppers. It can be found in cans or bottles in most major supermarkets or specialty grocers. It’s not in any way Lebanese, but I like the flavor it adds to the dish. If you can’t find it, any fresh chili sauce will do, such as sambal oelek. Serve kebabs with yogurt sauce on boiled rice or with a grilled flatbread, such as this grilled naan.

Hearty make-ahead salads have become a staple for me, ready to be pulled out and consumed at moments notice, whether as a hearty dish at dinner, a quick midnight snack, or a full-on lunch. If they’re not the Swiss Army knife of the vegan fridge, they’re at least the duct tape or rope.

Season well, let your salad rest, and drain. Salt and other dissolved solids can pull moisture out of greens and vegetables, leading to salads with a watery build-up at the bottom. This can dilute flavor and throw off your dressing and seasoning. That’s why I always make sure to season a make-ahead salad extra-well, knowing that some of the extra salt will get diluted into the extracted liquid, which I then partially drain off. If I have time the day I make the salad, I’ll do it then (the liquid takes about an hour to get pulled out). If not, I’ll drain the salad just before I eat it the next day.
With these basics in mind, there are any number of directions you can go. Here are a couple of my favorite salad recipes: three you’ve maybe seen here before and a brand new one designed to take advantage of the awesome pomelos I’ve been seeing around this season. It combines the bittersweet pomelo with crunchy jicama and bean sprouts, along with cilantro, peanuts, fried shallots, and a sweet-and-hot Thai-style lime-based fat-free dressing. Grapefruit would work just as well if you can’t find pomelo.

There are a few keys to making a great make-ahead salad. Here’s what I always try and keep in mind:

Use bold flavors. A hearty salad is not a palate cleanser or a refreshing side dish. It’s a course on its own and should be flavored as such, whether that’s with a bold dressing or plenty of flavorful ingredients.
Pick ingredients that stay crunchy. Nothin’ worse than mushy, wilted greens, or vegetables that have turned brown from the acid in the dressing. I use ingredients that stay bright, fresh, and crunchy even after a day or two of sitting in the fridge. Hearty greens like kale or young collards are perfect, as are crisp vegetables like jicama, lightly blanched cauliflower, or carrots. Celery makes a great flavorful crunchy element. Nuts and dried fruit make great additions as well.
Include at least one “star” player. I’m talking an ingredient that will take the salad and change it from a side dish into a main course. Most often, for me this is beans, whether chickpeas, white beans, or black beans. Canned, rinsed beans are totally fine in this situation.

There’s a long line of pubs down Queens Boulevard that may lead you to think that this stretch of Sunnyside is solely Irish territory. But a small yet popular group of Middle Eastern restaurants also calls this neighborhood home, and a 15 minute subway trip from Grand Central to the 40th or 46th Street stops on the 7 train can reward you with some top-notch Turkish and Lebanese cooking, if you know where to look. A glance at Grill 43 may suggest that grilled meat and poultry are the specialty of the house. They are not. But where the kebabs and shawarma disappoint, the dips, spreads, and salads on the menu are worth a visit all on their own.

Impressively flavorful mezze run $4 to $5 each, or $13.95 for a plate of four. Don’t miss eggplant in any of its forms, roasted whole and topped with garlic sauce, chopped up with tomatoes and chilies (in hot and mild versions), or puréed into patlican salatisi, a lighter baba ganoush that favors olive oil and straightforward smoke over tahini. A piquant relish of ezme carries a fierce heat to liven up the restaurant’s fresh, crisp-crusted bread; I’ve found no equal of it in New York. Grill 43 is especially rewarding at breakfast, when you can get their excellent Menemen ($5.95)—a homestyle dish rarely seen at Turkish restaurants in the city. The tender curds of egg are stained orange by the tomatoes and peppers they’re cooked with, leaving a film of oil on the plate best sopped up with more of that great bread.

Back in 2011, El Shater, a beloved neighborhood Lebanese deli and lunch spot, shut its doors. Members of the owner’s family split off to open two new spots. One, Habibi, took over El Shater’s old space. It closed a little later, passed hands once again, and is now Grill 43.

The other opened down on Queens Boulevard, where it is to this day. Souk El Shater doesn’t look like much—it’s a slender Middle Eastern grocery (“souk” translates as “open market) with a food counter up front. But it’s home to some of the greatest shawarma in Queens, deeply spiced beef and more delicate chicken, both exceedingly juicy and well seasoned. You can get your meat wrapped in thin pita with pickles and garlic sauce for a mere $3.50, but also on a platter ($8.50) with dips like fresh homemade hummus and a very creamy babaganoush. The winning condiment may be a fierce, grassy purée of green chilies with olive oil “and some secrets I can’t tell you,” says the man with the shawarma blade.

Adding some sprigs of rosemary felt only natural. From there it seemed only right to include some grassy, heady extra virgin olive oil. Astorians practically use it to fuel their cars and lawn mowers.

If you’ve never had olive oil in ice cream, take a moment to consider how delicious it can be. And if you don’t trust me, take the olive oil gelato at Otto (of Mario Batali fame) as proof that it can be magnificent in sweets.

Counter seating is limited at Souk el Shater—just four stools—so consider taking your bounty to go and heading over to the Gaslight Pub a few doors down. The bar offers specials like three draft beers for $10, which are best enjoyed on their surprisingly nice patio in the back, and you’re welcome to bring in as much food as you’d like.

Ethan Frisch is the chef and co-mastermind behind Guerrilla Ice Cream. He’s traveled around the world (30 countries, 5 continents) and worked as a pastry chef and line cook in some of NYC’s great (and not so great) restaurants. He currently lives in London, where he really misses New York City tap water.

To be honest, it’s kind of personal preference here, but I like to use large shrimp for this dish. These usually come in around 35ish shrimp per pound, which means you can get six skewers with about six shrimp per skewer.

I wouldn’t go smaller than that on the shrimp or they will overcook on the grill. If you go larger, just do fewer shrimp per skewer. For dishes like this, I like to grill peeled shrimp so you can slide them from the skewer onto the plate!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GRILLING SHRIMP
The main trick to grilling shrimp is to cook it on high heat for a short time. You want to get a quick sear on them and they are done. If you overcook them they will get rubbery.

To prevent your shrimp from sticking to the grill, rub the hot grill grates with oil right before you add the shrimp.
Grill shrimp over direct heat, or if you’re using a gas grill, medium-high to high heat (375°F-450°F).
For large shrimp, you only need about two minutes per side for nice and juicy shrimp.

INGREDIENTS
For the sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the lo mein:

10 ounces lo mein noodles, fresh or dry
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 small head napa cabbage, chopped
To garnish:

Fresh scallion, chopped
Sesame seeds
Wasabi edamame

1 Combine the sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, hot water, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.

2 Cook the lo mein noodles: Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium heat. Add the salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, usually around 4 minutes, but check the package directions for the noodles you are using.

Drain the noodles, transfer to a bowl, and toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

3 Cook the vegetables: Set a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil along with the sliced mushrooms, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms lose their water and start to brown slightly. Then add the red pepper, carrot, and cabbage. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly until the vegetables are wilted.

4 Add the noodles and sauce: Add noodles along with the sauce and stir with the vegetables to combine. The sauce should coat the noodles and vegetables. If the noodles seem dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.

Taste and adjust the flavor to your liking. It might need another dash of soy sauce, for example.

5 Serve: Serve the Veggie Lo Mein topped with scallions, sesame seeds, and wasabi edamame (if you like it hot) for some nice spicy crunch.

Leftovers! You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. They will reheat beautifully in the microwave.

Emphasizing that thyme is a very common area of ​​use, Pak said, “We can use fresh leaves in salads and soups. After drying both the above ground part and the leaves, it is used as a spice to give flavor and aroma to meat dishes, pizzas, soups and sauces. It is known to be used in folk medicine for aches and pains. Thyme oil is used against rheumatism and muscle aches. It is known to be used for cholesterol, lowering blood sugar and balancing blood pressure, relaxing the digestive system, respiratory diseases such as cough and bronchitis. , externally, can be used for insect bites and eczema. It is considered as a natural preservative in perfumery and cosmetic products, “he said.
Stating that thyme has antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral effects due to the active ingredients it contains, Pak said, “In these days when we approach nature and nature due to coronavirus, we can make cleaning materials with oregano oil and thyme juice and use it comfortably. “he spoke.

The name of this dish includes chili, and central Vietnam is known for some super spicy food, but it doesn’t need to be if you don’t want to fry your tongue. I’ve given the appropriate amounts in Thai chili to make this a pleasant amount of spiciness (my mom’s version would have 4x as many chilies), but if you don’t like spice, swap the Thai chilies out for another red chili of choice, including bell peppers if that is what you like.
At the same time, make your fish sauce: combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, and 2-4 Thai chilies (as comfortable) in a mortar and pestle. Crush into a fine paste, then transfer to a jar along with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 cup of water. Store in the fridge.

I hope you try this dish, it’s one of my personal soul food meals. If you like it, please share it widely, because there are some truly terrible versions floating around the internet, though I’m sure that’s the case for any cuisine.

The name of this dish includes chili, and central Vietnam is known for some super spicy food, but it doesn’t need to be if you don’t want to fry your tongue. I’ve given the appropriate amounts in Thai chili to make this a pleasant amount of spiciness (my mom’s version would have 4x as many chilies), but if you don’t like spice, swap the Thai chilies out for another red chili of choice, including bell peppers if that is what you like.
At the same time, make your fish sauce: combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, and 2-4 Thai chilies (as comfortable) in a mortar and pestle. Crush into a fine paste, then transfer to a jar along with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 cup of water. Store in the fridge.

I hope you try this dish, it’s one of my personal soul food meals. If you like it, please share it widely, because there are some truly terrible versions floating around the internet, though I’m sure that’s the case for any cuisine.

It is necessary to close the jars very tightly to prevent them from getting air. Store the spices indoors in the dark. Sunlight causes the spices to lose their aroma. It is useful to keep it either in a drawer or in a closed cabinet.
Keep spices away from heat. The most practical way to choose spices while cooking is to take them from the cupboard next to the stove. However, this is not a very good idea as heat causes degradation. Some points are important . It is also beneficial for them not to be near the dishwasher.
Moisture as well as heat is the enemy of spice. Make sure that the spoons you use for this are completely dry.
What Can We Do To Extend Food Life?

Visibility is the most practical way we can use refrigerated food in a timely manner. Otherwise, they can be forgotten and spoiled and go to waste. Adjust the height. Do not put both sides of food or containers of the same size. Place higher ones in the back. So what’s on the back? Choose glass jars and bottles and label them.
Separate a shelf for food that is running out of time. You can also stop here with fresh fruits, remaining cooked meals, or make one “Soul’s Full Box”. Everyone knows that the foods in it should be consumed immediately, they should be used first.