Sofrito

Huevos rancheros are elevated by adding crispy smoked ham.

This Puerto Rican-style sofrito (not to be confused with Italian, Caribbean, Cuban, Dominican, Colombian, Haitian or Mediterranean sofritos) is made with roasted bell peppers, onion and garlic and flavored with herbs.

For her sublime version of everyday chicken and rice, Marcia Kiesel coats chicken legs in chili powder and cooks rice with sofrito--a Spanish mixture of chopped onion, garlic and bell pepper. She bakes everything together in a skillet so that the delectable chicken juices flavor the rice, then broils the dish at the last minute to turn the chicken skin enticingly brown.

Richard Landau doctors store-bought ketchup with sauteed vegetables (sofrito) and Cajun spices. It's great on a veggie burger.

This spicy, garlicky condiment from Eric Ripert's old friend Alfredo Ayala is excellent with all kinds of bean stews as well as with scrambled eggs, quesadillas or grilled meats.