Main Courses

Tomatoes, anchovies and black olives spread across a wide platter in the colors of a Nice market, dressed at the last moment with Nicolas Alziari’s Prestige olive oil, fruity, sweet and delicate, the signature of a house founded in 1868.

The spiced yogurt works on the chicken for an hour, so it can char at the edges without drying out: Sauce Martin’s Indian hot sauce, where mango chutney and Madras curry meet fresh chili, brings a warm, gently fruity medium heat.

The skin crackles, the butter foams, and one tablespoon of Granhota’s Lemon Vinegar, made from Menton lemons steeped for months, turns the pan into a bright, round sauce for the sea bream.

The oil warms gently with chili flakes, never smoking, then clings to the spaghetti with a splash of starchy water; Domaine Salvator’s Fresh Garlic Olive Oil, organic extra virgin oil infused with fresh garlic by the Pinatel family, gives this late-night classic its full flavor.

Mushrooms sizzling with ginger and garlic before the dark tea is poured over them, the steam carrying a note of undergrowth: Dammann Frères’ Pu-Erh Tea Bags, a deep Chinese dark tea hinting at chimney smoke and licorice, become a savory broth for noodles.

The first minute matters most, when the spices bloom in hot oil and the whole house knows dinner is coming: Place des Épices’ organic Indian curry, a warm, aromatic ground masala, then wraps chickpeas and cauliflower in its sauce.

A pot that has simmered for an hour, then the moment of truth, one drop at a time: Sauce Martin’s Inca Reaper hot sauce, 40% red Carolina Reaper from Ecuador, builds slowly into a deep, enveloping fire for experienced palates only.

Two hours of gentle simmering, beef falling apart, a spoonful of sour cream melting into a deep red sauce: Place des Épices’ organic hot paprika from Murcia, richly aromatic and pleasantly warming, gives this goulash its glow.

Peppers and tomatoes slowly collapse into a thick, sweet sauce, eggs set in their hollows, a slice of Bayonne ham waits on the side: Sauce Martin’s Hegoa hot sauce, made from Gorria peppers grown in Ainhoa, adds a light, fruity Basque warmth.

An hour under a heavy weight, and the bread has drunk in tomato, tuna and Nicolas Alziari’s César olive oil, made from Cailletier olives grown in Nice, with its notes of dried herbs, artichoke and almond.

Hot tea poured at the table over warm rice, salmon, nori and sesame, the bowl sending up a green, savory steam: Dammann Frères’ Organic Sencha Tea Bags, a fresh, lively green tea crafted in the Japanese manner, become the broth of this simple meal.

After forty-five minutes of slow simmering, the chili gets its secret ingredient, an ounce of François Pralus’s Tanzania 75% Dark Chocolate Bar, woody and spicy, which melts in and deepens the sauce.