Best Reduction Recipes

You probably have enjoyed grilled corn; you may or may not have tasted a grilled fresh fig. I’m almost sure, however, that you have never had them together in one dish. But when late summer brings them to market at the same time, I hope you will try this recipe. It’s a simple one to do ahead: you grill the corn on the cob and then grill the figs (they take barely a minute). You slice off the corn kernels, toss them with the figs, and serve the dish at room temperature.The golden vegetable and dark fruit are a great-tasting and pretty combination just as they are, but if you happen to have some balsamic drizzling sauce already made (or a bottle of balsamic vinegar to reduce), it’s definitely worth applying the final swirl of sauce. The acidic tang sets off the sweetness of all the sugars in the corn and figs, already intensified by the heat of the grill. You can use either a gas or a charcoal grill for this, but keep the fire moderate (and pay attention, especially with the figs) so the sugars are caramelized, not burned.Click here to see the rest of Lidia Bastianich's Independence Day menu.

In this great cold-weather dish, butternut squash and pumpkin add sweetness and spice to hearty chili. A scoop of sour cream infused with sweet apple pie moonshine reduction adds a jolt of countrified fun.This recipe is from Myth and Moonshine in Baltimore, Maryland, and was originally published in The Baltimore Sun.

Try this simple recipe for roasted Pacific salmon, honey caramelized turnips, cipollini onions, and pinot noir.Recipe courtesy of Chef Yaffe, VUE 24, Foxwoods Resort Casino.