Kali’s Famous Green Sauce

Over the last thirty years, I’d have to say that this is my most-requested recipe. In my opinion, it’s everything a good Mexican green sauce should be — garlicky, blindingly spicy, piquant, fresh and green. I use this most often on poultry and pork and it’s also good on vegetable burritos and eggs. You can pour the sauce on meat, eggs, or vegetables after they are cooked, or simmer them in the sauce. (The simmering technique works very well for chicken.) It can also be used as a fresh salsa or a dip. Best of all, it freezes beautifully. Make a big pot and freeze it in ziplock bags so you can have a summery taste year-round. [...]

Cilantro Salsa

Cilantro (the fresh leaves of the coriander plant) is one of those flavors that people seem to either love or hate. I’m a lover, and so I sprinkle cilantro on all sorts of dishes, from carnitas to duck noodle soup. It’s a staple spice in Mexican, South Asian, and East Indian cuisies. This salsa is a cilantro party for the mouth, and it’s quick and easy to make. [...]

Blender Gazpacho

Gazpacho is one of my standard favorites for a summer heat wave. It’s best when it’s had time to chill. I make it the day before I want to serve it because the flavors blend better on the second day. One of the things that’s so great about gazpacho is that it’s almost infinitely flexible — almost any vegetable will work nicely as either part of the broth, or as garnish. It’s also incredibly easy if you have a blender, taking only about a half an hour from start to finish. Here’s a basic recipe, but be creative and make it your own. [...]