Salad ingredients are old friends to most, but here’s a primer on a few of the lesser-known constants in this book.
CHIA SEEDS: These tiny seeds have escaped their ’80s novelty-pottery roots and are the new darling of the whole foods scene. Packed with fiber and omega-3s, they also have the unique property that when soaked in water, chia seeds create a thick gel that I use to add body (and therefore less oil) in vinaigrettes. Find organic chia seeds in natural food stores.
CHINESE 5-SPICE POWDER: A warming blend of star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and Sichuan pepper that’s amazing on roasted nuts or tofu, and even in dressings. A common find in any market that has a healthy respect for good spices.
COCONUT SUGAR: A rustic sugar made from coconut palm sap, usually organic, sustainable, and vegan. It has a pronounced molasses taste: substitute with organic light brown sugar.
COCONUT WATER: The refreshing water found in the center of fresh coconuts has become insanely popular, and I love using it in vinaigrettes for its subtle texture and mellow flavor. Make sure you’re using pure, unflavored, unsweetened coconut water in these recipes. And for heaven’s sake don’t confuse it with coconut milk (the rich creamy stuff in a can). Coconut water typically comes in paper aseptic packs similar to soy milk packaging.
GINGER, FRESH: I know what you’re thinking: “Yeah, I know fresh ginger!” This is just a friendly reminder that freezing chunks of fresh ginger is effortless and prevents the sadness of discovering that lonely, dried-out lump at the bottom of the vegetable bin when you need fresh ginger the most. Scrape the skin off a big section of ginger-root with a spoon (it works great!), cut into 2-inch pieces, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze. To use, thaw a chunk on the kitchen counter for a few minutes (partially frozen is okay), then mince or grate. Semi-frozen ginger grates up beautifully into fluffy ginger snow, perfect for whisking into dressings and marinades!
LEMONGRASS: Fresh lemongrass is simple to prepare and infuses everything with a beautiful light lemon aroma, so it’s worth your time. Strip away the outer papery leaves if the stalk seems very dry and then trim off the top 6 to 7 inches (the slender, dry top of the stalk). Slice the remaining thick stem in half, then slice each half paper-thin. Or roughly dice the stem, throw it in the food processor, and pulse into a pulp. Freeze chopped lemongrass and use within 1 month. If fresh stalks aren’t an option, look for chopped lemongrass in jars in gourmet or natural markets; while not as aromatic as the fresh stuff, it’s the next-best thing (but avoid dried lemongrass; it’s tasteless).
LIQUID SMOKE: A totally vegan seasoning liquid infused with real smoke flavor. It’s intense so a little will go a long way toward infusing food with rich BBQ flavor without ever hitting the grill. Hickory and mesquite are the two most common “flavors” you’ll find in any grocery store.
MÂCHE: A lovely salad green: tender, rounded little leaves with a mild sweet flavor.
MISO: Japanese fermented soybean paste, a staple of soup, that adds tons of delectable umami flavor (and saltiness) to many dressing recipes. White miso (shiro miso) is sweet, mellow, and very versatile for use in lots of recipes in this book. Bolder, richly nuanced red miso also makes an appearance.
NUTRITIONAL YEAST: A golden, flakey dried yeast powder, this vegan staple tastes so much better than it sounds. Nutritional yeast dissolves easily in liquids and has a full-bodied, robust flavor reminiscent of cheese (stinky cheese, that is). Great also sprinkled on foods, it adds a boost of rich umami flavor to plant-based cuisine along with protein and B vitamins.
PAPADUM: Savory, paper-thin Indian wafers made from ground lentils and spices. You’ll find an exciting selection of flavors in Indian markets. Papadum must be cooked before eating—fried or roasted over a flame. Roasting papadum is my method of choice and is easily done on a gas range. Hold a raw papadum with long-handled metal tongs an inch or closer over a low flame until the surface bubbles and crisps, flipping and moving the papadum along the burner top until the papadum bubbles and warps to crisp perfection. You may need to practice this a few times and burn some in the process, but a few small charred spots are just fine.
PERSIAN CUCUMBERS: A small, slender variety of cucumber with a snappy texture and thin, edible skin. No peeling required! Essential for authentic Middle Eastern–style salads and so flavorful and easy to use that I prefer these instead of standard watery American cucumbers.
SALT (AS IN VERY GOOD SALT): There’s table salt, and then there’s really good salt. For these pure vinaigrettes, use a high-quality sea salt. For sprinkling on glazed roasted nuts or juicy slabs of August tomatoes, go hog-wild and break out the beautiful stuff like flaky Maldon, Himalayan pink, or other snobby but exceptional salts.
SRIRACHA SAUCE: Seems like all the world is in love with slathering this zingy Asian-style garlic-chile sauce over food. It’s also great in marinades and fires up glazed roasted pecans, a favorite of mine in this book.
TAHINI: Creamy, pure sesame tahini is essential for so many great salad dressings. The best varieties are Middle Eastern in origin and silky smooth, but hippy organic tahini is fine too; both are usually packed in jars or tins. Don’t confuse tahini with premade tahini sauce!
TAMARI: Japanese soy sauce with bold flavor and body. The darling of natural food cuisine for decades, it’s usually made without added preservatives and other junk you shouldn’t eat. Is gluten your archenemy? Then use gluten-free tamari!
TAMARIND CONCENTRATE: Tangy tamarind is lovely but is annoying to process by hand from fresh or dried pods. Thick brown tamarind concentrate is easy to use and adds tropical flavor to dressings and marinades. Look for it in grocery stores wherever Thai products are sold or at an Indian grocery.
TEMPEH: A firm, fermented cake of beans (usually soy) and sometimes grains like rice or barley. It’s protein rich, great grilled or braised, with a delicate, nutty taste. You can find it in natural food stores, or if you’re lucky at local farmers’ markets (larger commercial grocery stores are starting to carry it too). In NYC, I hunt for Barry’s Tempeh (www.growninbrooklyn.com).
TOFU: These recipes feature the two major types of tofu found in almost any grocery store: the grainy-textured Chinese variety and the custard-smooth Japanese type. You’ll appreciate firm Chinese-style tofu for marinating and roasting, and delicate Japanese-style tofu for blending into smooth dressings.
UNROASTED CASHEWS: You may know salted, roasted cashews, but unroasted (often referred to as raw, but all cashews must be lightly cooked to remove some naturally present toxins) cashews are essential for sublime, creamy soy-free dressings. Unroasted cashews should also be unsalted. Unroasted cashews participate in many recipes in this book, so buy in bulk and store chilled.
VINEGAR: There are all kinds of vinegars! If it first can be turned into booze, it can later be made into vinegar. For this book, you’ll get the most mileage from a bottle each of apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and mellow rice vinegar. Ume plum vinegar, made from Japanese pickled plums, shows up in a few recipes; a little bottle of this intense fruity, salty vinegar will go a long way.
VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN FLOUR: If you’re gluten-free, STOP READING HERE. The rest of you, follow me. This silky flour is the result of the starchy portion of wheat flour being removed, leaving only the pure protein of wheat (the gluten!). Grab a bag or two for making fast, easy seitan (a hearty DIY meat substitute) at home.