Spicy sriracha mayonnaise. Photo: onthemetro, Flickr.

We may have already pegged sriracha as the ultimate condiment, but we were so wowed by the simple brilliance of sriracha mayonnaise that we decided to have you feast your eyes on another rendition of it. The sauce -- made by the ever-creative White on Rice couple -- spikes mayo with sriracha, soy sauce and lemon, in a deceptively rosy-looking sauce. Longtime fans of the usual pesto mayo, we were tickled by the unlikely marriage of the all-American staple with the exotic, spicy-sweet chili sauce.

The New York Times reported back in February on the "Chili Sauce to Crow About," which is a simple purée of red jalapenos, sugar, garlic powder, vinegar and salt. Most notably marketed by Huy Fong in trademark clear plastic dispensers with a green cap and rooster image, the Times says the sauce "may be best understood as an American sauce, a polyglot purée with roots in difference places and peoples." And its uses are indeed variegated, if not unlimited -- Jean-Georges Vongerichten uses it to spice up a hollandaise and Kogi serves it as a garnish for their Korean BBQ tacos.

What's your unique use for the sauce?

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The cookbook shelf of a former vegetarian. Photo: emdot, Flickr.

Whether you're a full-fledged veg or a pro-greens protein fiend, vegetarian cookbooks are the door to a world where beans, greens and grains are celebrated. These books will introduce you to a whole new pantry of ingredients. Just as a meat eater might strive to make use of the entire animal, vegetarian cooks grab inspiration from far and wide and turn every bit of edible, natural earth into a grand culinary experience.

What follows after the jump are five vegetarian cookbooks that any veggie lover must have, covering the staples of meatless cookery -- secret recipes from restaurants, classic culinary bibles, respected names and haute vegetarian food. Which do you think will reign supreme?

• Normand Laprise urges cooks to not ignore the truffle in hard times -- suggesting how far an ounce can go -- from flavoring your in-shell eggs, to truffle ice cream (recipe included), scrambled eggs, risotto, and bread with a truffle center.
• February is the perfect time to indulge in bitter-lettuce salads, like a Simple Winter Salad of radicchio, watercress, frisee, and endives.
• Daniel Boulud opens DB Bistro Moderne in Vancouver, offering freshly ground burgers, a refusal to massacre meat to well done, and delicious and warm Madeleines -- plus the new Lumière restaurant.
• There's little as delicious as a strong beer, and Stephen Beaumont runs through the regions and beers that offer strong flavor in your brew.
• A look into Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new Vancouver restaurant and his in-kitchen process.
• Eating in the Year of the Ox, recipes for: Barbecue Pork, Sesame-Hoisin Sauce, Potstickers, Ginger Vinegar Dipping Sauce, Shrimp Dumplings, Salmon Spring Rolls, Spiced Soy Dipping Sauce, and Stir-Fried Noodles with Duck

• Chef David Rocco takes on the scourge known as school lunches.
• Yum: merging food and booze, like Wine-Soaked Potato Salad, or the featured recipe: Pumpkin and Coconut Mousse with Candied Ginger.
• Cape Vessey aims to turn the goat cheese naysayers into fans.
• Chef Michael Smith's Lentils with Local Apples.
• Can you crush addiction with wine making? San Patrignano -- a winery in Italy -- thinks so.
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten hits Vancouver.
  

• Click here for an invaluable run-down on cleaning your wine glasses, from washing sober to getting out stubborn stains.
• Recipes: Grilled Fifth Town Goat Cheese Panini with 3-Minute Heirloom Tomato Consomme plus Patric Leduc's Brined Pork Chops with Chipotle Sauce and Dana's Peach Galettes.
• Forget Anne of Avonlea and try cheese from Avonlea, namely -- Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar.
• Be still my heart -- a meat club I wish I had an invite to.
• If you thought faux corks were bad, or cartons, now there are wines you can drunk straight from the plastic bottle.
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten is heading for Canada, Vancouver to be exact.

Maybe you accidentally used salt while beating the batter for your cheesecake. That's a flop in the kitchen alright, but it certainly doesn't taste good (I would know - I've done it). However, there are kitchen "accidents" that resulted in some of today's most famous foods and dishes. The Chicago Tribune lists some of the best mistakes we've ever made, and includes recipes.

• Jean-Georges Vongerichten  "invented" the molten chocolate lava cake in 1987 while trying to make 300 small chocolate cakes for a party
• We all know the birth of chocolate chip cookies when Ruth Wakefield thought Nestle Toll House chocolate chips would melt into her cookies
• Gooey butter cake is a coffee cake that went wrong in St. Louis
• When the Tatin sisters forgot to line a pie dish for apple pie, the Tarte Tatin was created

The James Beard Foundation has just announced their nominees for the 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards. The awards are the most prestigious in the industry and honor the top culinary professionals in every category, from journalists to cookbooks to chefs. There are 62 awards in all this year. Nominees include:

Best General Cookbooks

• Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks by Linda Carucci; The Cook's Book by Jill Norman; The Instant Cook by Donna Hay

Internet writing on Restaurant, Food, Beverage or Nutrition

• "Reserve Wines Score, by at What Price?"; "Down with Gloves: Why Chefs Shouldn't Have to Wear Them"; "Star Wars: Did Michelin Lower the Bar for New York?"

Best Internet Website for Food

• AliceFeiring.com; Epicurious.com; LeitesCulinaria.com