Justin Devillier upgrades classic Southern cheese straws with Sharifi's Iranian spices at his New Orleans restaurant La Petite Grocery . He sometimes swaps out the cardamom for equal amounts of ground coriander or fennel seed. "I've always assumed cheese straws originated in the Carolinas," says Devillier, "but that may be because my mother-in-law always brings them when she visits from South Carolina."
Lately, Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy and I can't get enough of those Greek-style pasta salads they sell at the grocery deli. All those bright, crisp flavors of lemon, tomato, cucumber, and fresh herbs are...
