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fresh turmeric, found at the organic store. The skin was a little wrinkled, but it was the first time I'd seen any for sale, so I jumped at the opportunity anyway. As the young man who rung up my purchases remarked, the rhizomes look like cut fingers (he's lucky it's my kind of humor). They can be peeled, grated, and used much like ginger, and just like ginger, the fresh stuff has little to do with its dried and ground persona, which I've always thought tasted a bit musty. The one caveat is that fresh turmeric is a powerful tincture that will, if you're not careful, stain your countertop, hands, sleeves, food processor, left cheek, and favorite napkin with highlighter yellow, near indelible blotches. Just thought you might like to know.

Moules au champagne et au safran (ou pas) - one pinch saffron threads (optional) - 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds) fresh, live mussels, about 2.5 liters (see note) - 15 grams (1 tablespoon) butter - 4 small yellow onions, about 250 grams (9 ounces), finely minced - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 240 ml (1 cup) dry champagne, or other dry white wine, sparkling or not - freshly ground black pepper - 2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley, snipped - 2 to 4 rounded teaspoons crème fraîche, or sour cream

For the sea bass4 sea bass fillets 2 tbsp olive oil 25g/1oz butter4 tbsp white winesaltfreshly ground black pepperFor the sauce1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15g/½oz butter3 anchovy fillets2 shallots, finely chopped1 medium courgette, finely chopped 300ml½ pint vegetable stock200g/7oz rocket, roughly chopped, plus a few handfuls to serve

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15g/½oz butter3 anchovy fillets2 shallots, finely chopped1 medium courgette, finely chopped 300ml½ pint vegetable stock200g/7oz rocket, roughly chopped, plus a few handfuls to serve

Method 1. First make the sauce. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter in a pan, add the anchovy fillets and cook, stirring over a gentle heat, until they have almost dissolved into the oil. 2. Add the shallots and courgette and cook until the shallots begin to soften, then add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for one minute. 3. Stir the rocket, season with black pepper and simmer for a couple of minutes.4. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then mix in a blender until smooth. 5. Return to the pan and stir over a high heat with a wooden spoon until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and the sauce becomes creamy.

Cut bacon into dices, then cook in a pot over moderate heat, stirring, until fat begins to render, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden (about 10 minutes). Add wine and boil until reduced by half (1 to 2 minutes). Cook spaghetti in a 6 to 8 quart pot of boiling salted water. While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, Pecorino, 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Drain spaghetti “al dente” and add to onion mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

bacon; 1 medium onion finely chopped; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 400 gr spaghetti; 3 large eggs; Parmisan cheese finely grated (3/4 cup); Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated (1/3 cup); Moliterno Pecorino cheese; 1 teaspoon Sechuan black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt

just let it be savory There's nothing inherently wrong with pairing pork tenderloin with fruit. It just shows a collective failure of imagination that it is all anyone ever seems to want to do with this leaner, milder cut more prized for its tenderness than its flavor. As with a filet mignon, a generous seasoning of coarsely ground salt and pepper paired with high heat can transform a pork tenderloin.   temp, not time

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 5 large tomatoes or 15 plum tomatoes, skinned and chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 2 pounds sea scallops, trimmed and washed 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/3 cup heavy cream

1. In a large, deep, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 1 minute. 2. Add the orange zest, fennel seed, crushed red pepper and cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and cook until sauce simmers. Add the tomato paste, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, basil and garlic and simmer another 2 minutes. 3. While the sauce is simmering, cut the scallops in half or quarters, depending on the size of the scallops. Add the scallops to the simmering sauce and cook until the scallops are barely firm, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked scallops with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. 4. Bring the sauce in the pan to a boil and boil vigorously for 2 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, whisk the starch with the cream until smooth. Whisk into the boiling sauce and return to a simmer. Pour this sauce over the scallops.

50g/2oz plain flour25g/1oz buckwheat flour1 level tsp ground cinnamon2 eggs1x200ml tub crème fraîche1 large Granny Smith apple2 tbsp calvadosTo make the pancakes:50g/2oz melted butterTo serve:caster sugar2 tbsp calvadosdouble cream, well chilledYou will also need a small, solid frying pan.

Begin by peeling and coring the apple then cut it into quarters and grate it on the coarse side of the grater into a bowl. Then toss the grated apple around in 2 tbsp calvados and leave it aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, buckwheat flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Then in a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together, then gradually whisk this into the flour mixture using an electric hand whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Then stir in the apple and calvados.Before you make the pancakes put a large plate in a warm oven or a warming-drawer so that as you make them they can be kept warm, covered with some foil.To make the pancakes, melt the butter in the frying pan, then tip it into a cup. To make your first pancake, heat the pan over a medium heat until it is really hot then use 1 tbsp of the batter to make each pancake, cook until it becomes crisp at the edges and is a lovely golden colour underneath, then, using a palette knife or spatula, turn the crêpe over and cook the other side until crisp and golden (this should take about 45 seconds on each side.)Remove the crêpe to a warm plate. Use a wodge of kitchen paper to lubricate the pan again with melted butter, then continue cooking the pancakes until the batter is all used up. When you are ready to serve the pancakes, transfer them to warmed serving plates, giving each person three or four, lightly dusted with caster sugar. Then combine the cream and calvados, put a little on each serving and hand the rest round separately. For a special occasion you could flame these by leaving them piled on a large plate, dusting with caster sugar, then warming 3 tbsp of calvados in a small pan - light it with a match and pour the flaming calvados over the pancakes. When the flame has died down serve each person three or four pancakes with pouring cream, served separately.

Radish Leaf Pesto - 2 large handfuls of good-looking radish leaves, stems removed - 30 grams (1 ounce) hard cheese, such as pecorino or parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler - 30 grams (1 ounce) nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pinenuts (avoid walnuts, which make the end result too bitter in my opinion) - 1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four - a short ribbon of lemon zest cut thinly from an organic lemon with a vegetable peeler (optional) - 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like - salt, pepper, ground chili pepper Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; it's great for your karma and your triceps.) Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container (I use a recycled glass jar). Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze.

Lamb and Orange Khoresh - 4 organic oranges, about 700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) total - 30g (2 tablespoons) butter - 2 tablespoons sugar - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1.8 kilos (4 pounds) lamb, half from the shoulder and half from the neck (bone-in), cut into 4-cm (1 1/2-inch) cubes - 400 grams (14 ounces) yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 4 pods green cardamom, smashed with the blade of a knife - a pinch saffron threads (optional) - 1 lime - 600 grams (1 1/3 pounds) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced - 2 tablespoons orange flower water - 40 grams (1/3 cup) unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped - a handful of fresh mint leaves - salt, pepper Serves 6.

Prepare the candied orange peel. Wash 3 of the oranges well and use a vegetable peeler to peel off the very surface of their peel: the goal is to get the orange part and as little of the white as possible. Cut the peel in matchstick-size strips (I use kitchen shears). Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the orange peel and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add the butter, sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Melt over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pan smells like salted butter caramel and the strips are lightly browned. Don't overcook or they will be bitter. Lift the peels from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon, letting the melted butter drip down, and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool. Reserve the butter that remains at the bottom of the pan. (This can be made a day ahead.)

Cook the stew. Heat the oil and reserved butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use my cast-iron cocotte) over medium heat. Add the meat without crowding (you may have to work in two batches) and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned. Set aside on a plate. Pour in a little water to deglaze the bottom of the pot, add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron, and cook for a minute to toast the spices. In the meantime, squeeze the juice from the lime and 2 of the oranges (one of them now naked). Return the meat to the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in the citrus juices, and add a little water so the liquids almost cover the meat but not quite. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. Add the carrots 30 minutes before the end of the cooking. Segment the 2 remaining oranges and add the segments to the pot 10 minutes before the end of the cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the orange flower water at the last minute, and serve with basmati rice (I opted for brown basmati rice) and a sprinkle of candied orange peel, pistachios, and mint cut into strips -- I just passed these toppings around in small bowls for each guest to help himself.

Carottes et Betteraves Râpées - 450 grams (1 pound) carrots - 450 grams (1 pound) uncooked beetroots (get small, young ones, with smooth skin and firm flesh) - 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic paste - 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil (or walnut, or squash seed, or olive oil) - 1 tablespoon honey vinegar (or cider or balsamic vinegar) - 1 teaspoon strong Dijon mustard - Tabasco sauce or poblano pepper flakes, to taste - Smoked salt (or regular sea salt, or gomasio, or zaatar) - Freshly ground black pepper Optional add-ins: - Leafy fresh herbs (cilantro, chervil, flat-leaf parsley), chopped - Toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews, peanuts) or seeds (sesame, sunflower seeds), or better yet, my new friend the dukkah - Shaved parmesan or cubed feta cheese or crumbled blue cheese - Mâche or baby spinach leaves - A grated apple or shallot - Any dried herb, spice, or spice mix you think might work (and you know there's only one way to find out) Serves 4 to 6. Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets. (If you own a food processor with a grater attachment, yay for you!) Place the rest of the main ingredients, from garlic to black pepper, in a large salad bowl, add the grated carrots and beets, and toss until well combined. Add any desired add-ins and toss again. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and let stand for 30 minutes, if you can, before serving: the beets and carrots will render juices that will make the salad moister. If you don't have that kind of time and the salad does not feel quite moist enough, add a dash of citrus juice, tomato juice, or any sort of juice that may currently reside in the refrigerator door.