Bright and full of flavour, quick-pickled red onions add zest to almost any dish.

We call these pickles, but they’re not the same as the jarred slices lined up on supermarket shelves.

In a more traditional pickling process — think kimchi, shelf-stable Mexican escabeche or jarred dill pickles — anaerobic fermentation preserves food while also giving it a distinct vinegary flavour.

Our “quickles” don’t go through fermentation, so they’re not shelf-stable or safe to eat after a long period of time.

Sure, you’ve had pesto pizza and a fresh basil garnish on your Margherita, but have you ever tried basil oil?

This recipe uses only two ingredients, so it’s important that both are high quality.

Once the oil has gone through your filter, you’ll be left with an emerald green elixir, which you can store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it (but bring it up to room temperature before attempting any drizzling).

This recipe is part of our garnish of the month series.

Fried garlic chips add crunch and flavour to anything.

When making garlic chips, think thin (like Paulie in Goodfellas thin).

These are only fried briefly, so stirring often and keeping an eye on the stove is essential.

When choosing an oil, opt for a high-quality grapeseed or other neutral oil, since you won’t want to throw it out when you’re done.

This recipe is part of our Garnish of the Month series.

Candied jalapeños are a treat that expertly balances heat and sweetness.

Sometimes referred to as cowboy candy (at least in Texas), candied jalapeños have a long history punctuated by a surge in popularity.

Our recipe is easy: peppers, vinegar, sugar, lime, and a little time.

Be sure to let the sugary cooking liquid reduce after you remove the jalapeños.

However you use them — and we hope you’ll be inventive — you’ll be wishing you had made them sooner.

This recipe is part of our garnish of the month series.

Sweet, sour and juicy, wherever you encounter them, pickled blueberries almost always feel like a surprise.

This easy-to-make garnish only requires a few minutes on the stove and a bit of forethought, but we find they’re best after 48 hours in the fridge, so you’ll want to plan ahead.

This recipe is a part of our Garnish of the Month series.

This garlicky, lemon-scented and spicy habanero-infused oil is great for drizzling on pizza and comes together in just a few minutes.

This recipe is part of our Garnish of the Month series.

Nancy Silverton is often a proponent of doing things the traditional way.

It might seem strange, then, that her pesto recipe uses a food processor.

If you don’t have all the time in the world, simply follow Nancy’s instructions.

If you do ever find yourself with all the time in the world, you’ve got Nancy’s approval to break out the mortar and pestle.

We’ve heard all the arguments against pineapple on pizza: watery, sweet, cloying, syrupy, and something that looks, well, mass-produced.

Before firing up a pizza, we spend a few minutes cooking thinly sliced pineapple in an Ooni for flame-cooked fruit with delicious bits of char and small pockets of juiciness.

Using fresh fruit on pizza is a step up from the canned pineapple original that Canadian restaurant owner Sam Panopoulos created back in 1962.

This recipe is a part of our occasional Garnish of the Month series.