Smoky BBQ Pork

Pork shoulder is one of the most inexpensive cuts of meat, and you can find it almost anywhere. The lean meat is punctuated with ribbons of fat, which self-bastes the pork as it cooks slow and oh-so-low. While the meat is fabulously tender, it doesn't boast much inherent flavor...which is where our Smoky BBQ Rub comes in. This spice blend, combined with beer, forms a marinade that infuses a wonderful smoked flavor deep in to the roast - you won't believe it came from the oven!Banana leaves are a nod to traditional Mexican carnitas, effectively steaming the meat as it cooks slowly, holding in the moisture, while imparting some of their own nutty, grassy flavor. They can be purchased in many Latin and Asian markets. You can sometimes find them fresh, but they'll often be frozen, which works just as well.

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Bejeweled Spice Cake

The holy trinity of baking spices: ginger, cassia-cinnamon and allspice combine in this traditional medieval spice blend called Poudre Douce. It makes this upside-down fruit cake an essential for the winter holidays -- and it's a table-top stunner, too! We made a festive selection of dried fruits over the classic pineapple to allow the spices to shine through. Less sweet than those pineapple upside-down cakes of our childhoods, we like this cake at brunch as well as for dessert!

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Ranch Potato Salad

From Boston to the Carolinas, summer means barbeques, and barbeques mean potato salad! Mom's recipe was full of mayo, hard-boiled eggs and bacon. It was delicious, yes, but we decided to give it an update. This version takes a healthy turn, replacing the traditional ranch dressing with Ranch-seasoned Greek yogurt. The result is creaminess without the fat, and the yogurt adds a little extra tang. We still used bacon because potato salad wouldn't be the same without it, after all.

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Classic Hummus

Hummus is one of those things best made fresh from scratch, and neither grocery store nor restaurant versions can compare. Served with crunchy veggies, olives, feta and warmed pita bread, hummus is always a crowd pleaser! Our hummus always comes to the table with a hearty sprinkle of spice right on top. Our taste-testers couldn't agree on just one, so we recommend El Greco, Dukkah - Hazelnut, Green Za'atar, Syrian Za'atar or Sumac.

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