You can get a perfectly lovely loaf of bread in a conventional oven, but a convection oven gives bread an even crispier crust.
Ras el hanout offers great bang for your buck in the flavour department. Just a bit of this North African spice blend adds depth to everything from meats to grains to sauces. It can be purchased premixed from Middle Eastern grocery stores or in specialty spice shops. If you can't find it, you can easily make your own using spices you already have on hand.
This aromatic sauce makes an excellent dip with bread, labneh and fresh herbs, or use it to top eggplant or chickpea stews, meatballs or braised lamb.
To get that rich, dark sauce, it's best to brown the meat before braising. The process takes a little time, but it layers in the flavour. Adding cocoa powder enriches the dish, too.
Fluttering dragonflies will catch everyone's eyes with their colourful sparkle and brilliant shades. Insert lollipop sticks into a few cookies before chilling them to make cookie pops.
This dish is representative of highly flavoured meat dishes meant to accompany fiery Chinese alcoholic drinks or sherry-like Chinese rice wine. The trick to cooking it is to cook the beef until quite dry and crispy but not overcooked and burnt. It should be similar in texture to beef jerky, only more tender, so test the strips as you cook them.
Pozole is a Mexican broth-based soup made with meat and hominy, a type of corn. Traditionally it would require many hours to prepare, but this version takes much less time and still tastes wonderfully authentic. Pozole is served with a garnish tray so everyone can add his or her own final touches.
This old favourite goes vegetarian with barley, a grain that cooks successfully in the slow cooker. Sauerkraut gives a memorable taste to cabbage rolls, so make sure to pick the best quality possible - the type in jars is often superior.
This is boeuf en daube, a traditional French dish of large chunks of beef marinated in wine and slow-braised in a sealed casserole. It's renowned for its rich, fresh, luscious flavours and ease of preparation. The optional pig's foot (trotter) gives extra body to the sauce by adding natural gelatin. Check with your butcher for the lean thick-cut bacon and the pig's foot, halved lengthwise at the store.
