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By Root 165 0

pinch of salt and sweat until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeños and sweat for 2 more minutes. Add the coriander seeds and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid completely reduces, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the relish to cool to room temperature. Season with salt to taste and fold in the cilantro. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

SHASHA SAUCE

This is a verbatim family recipe, made every year with the abundant banana peppers Liz’s mom grows. Look at the ingredients and you’ll see how weird this is; no chef would come up with such a thing, especially yellow mustard and the funky flour paste that’s added at the end. But I’m telling you it’s fantastic; the whole family is addicted to this stuff. I love it with scrambled eggs, on cold cuts, with Roasted Rack of Pork, as seasoning for a vinaigrette, and as a dipping sauce for Pig’s Ears. If Sherla has a bad year and doesn’t get enough peppers and I don’t get a couple jars, I get depressed. And I get depressed when I run out of this stuff.

Makes about 3 cups

12 hot banana peppers

4 garlic cloves

1 cup yellow mustard

1 cup white wine vinegar

¾ cup sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Slice off the top of the peppers and coarsely chop them. Toss them into a food processor with the garlic, mustard, and vinegar, and purée.

Pour the purée into a nonreactive saucepan, add the sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix the flour and ½ cup water to a smooth paste. Whisk it into the simmering liquid and return the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until very thick. Let the sauce cool, pour it into a nonreactive container, and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

HORSERADISH CRÈME FRAÎCHE

This sauce uses the natural bacteria in the buttermilk to generate acid, resulting in a cultured cream we call crème fraîche—cream with a subtle natural sourness. Yes, you could use store-bought crème fraîche, but that takes some of the fun out of the recipe. We serve this piquant horseradish sauce with Beef Cheek Pierogies, but it goes well with all roasted or braised beef and is great on a sandwich.

Makes 1¼ cups

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon buttermilk

¼ cup grated fresh horseradish

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Kosher salt

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat to 105°F. Remove from the heat and whisk in the buttermilk. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place (90° to 100°F is optimal; the cooler the temperature the longer fermentation may take) for 36 to 48 hours.

When the cream has thickened, chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours, until cold, or for up to 1 week. Before serving, fold in the horseradish, chives, pepper, and salt to taste.

AIOLI

This is a straightforward aioli, a garlicky fresh mayonnaise made with olive oil. It can be taken in any number of directions and can be seasoned with chopped fresh herbs or powerful flavors such as anchovy. I recommend you use farm-fresh eggs or organic eggs for raw yolk preparations such as this one. And remember that since this sauce is primarily olive oil, the better the quality of the oil you use, the better your aioli will taste.

Makes ¼ cup

1 large egg yolk

3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife and minced to a paste

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk the egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. While whisking continuously, begin adding the oil drop by drop until an emulsion is achieved. Continue adding the oil in a thin stream until all the oil is incorporated. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to a week.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

This is a classic Greek sauce that goes well with all lamb dishes.