Pomegranate

Known as "SC Grenadine" at Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, this fresh, two-ingredient grenadine syrup is perfect for tiki drinks or mocktails like a Shirley Temple.

Smoky mezcal, tart homemade grenadine, and a splash of sparkling wine give this twist on the tequila sunrise a modern upgrade.

Tart pomegranate, acting as both marinade and sauce, brings brightness and balance to this rich brisket. A pistachio-mint gremolata adds a touch of herbal freshness.

This simple, light salad showcases the beauty of winter vegetables and makes an elegant start to a festive holiday meal.

If you've given up on stovetop rice methods, you'll love this hands-off oven technique.

You can stuff this slawlike salad inside your pita, or eat it on its own.

How do you make lemon bars even better? Turn them pink. Add bright color and tangy flavor with a splash of fresh raspberry purée.

Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup lends fruity and floral notes to this refreshing summer cocktail. The name is misleading: the syrup contains neither cherries nor coffee beans. When harvesting coffee, farmers pick coffee cherries, which are shelled for their bean pits. The beans are roasted to become the coffee you know. While the cherries are usually discarded, you can actually steep their husks in hot water for an aromatic tea.

Saba is wine-grape juice that's been reduced until syrupy and concentrated. If you can't find it, use a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar.

Flavor fish fillets with the Middle Eastern spice mix za’atar and then serve over couscous and sautéed greens for a totally satisfying 22-minute meal.

Use one 2-pound mackerel if you can't find smaller ones, or substitute arctic char or trout.

These days, it goes without saying that if you're a vegetarian, you can simply leave out the sausage.

Two racks make enough for each person to have two chops. Cut between each bone individually for single chops, or cut into double-rib portions.

Massaging the dressing into the kale with your hands helps break down some of the fibers so the greens are more tender.

I rarely rave about my own recipes, but this is one I can just go on and on about. It is the definition of freshness with its sweet-and-sour late-summer flavors, and it is also an utter delight to look at. But the most incredible thing about it is that it uses a few ingredients that I have been lovingly cooking with for many years, and believed I knew everything there was to know about, yet had never thought of mixing them in such a way. That is, until I traveled to Istanbul and came across a similar combination of fresh tomatoes and pomegranate seeds in a famous local kebab restaurant called Hamdi, right by the Spice Bazaar. It was a proper light-bulb moment when I realized how the two types of sweetness-the sharp, almost bitter sweetness of pomegranate and the savory, sunny sweetness of tomato-can complement each other so gloriously. I use four types of tomato here to make the salad more interesting visually and in flavor. You can easily use fewer, just as long as they are ripe and sweet.