In the summertime, I literally can’t live without this bright green sauce made from fresh basil leaves, pine kernels, garlic olive oil and parmesan cheese. I can eat it daily, spread on fresh white bread, tossed with pasta or gnocchi. Pesto originated in Geona, the capital city of Liguria, the region in Italy and was traditionally made in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. I find making the pesto easier and faster by using a food processor. Don’t be tempted by a ready sauce from the store, The ingredients are available all year round, and any other ready-to-eat sauce can’t be compared to a homemade version. This recipe shows you how to make pesto at home. Here...

This is my last culinary discovery and a favourite among other sauces. I’ve actually known Tartare Sauce for ages, but never eaten a homemade version so delicious like this. The sauce is great for fish – fried or steamed, fish and chips, amazing with sandwiches, cold cuts and perfect for homemade beef burgers. It’s not the condiment for people on a diet or those, who don’t like rich dips. It’s only for those who love full flavours. The Tartare Sauce consists of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, cornishons, flavourful shallot, with a pinch of black pepper and homemade mayonnaise. It’s very easy and quick to stir up.  Find the recipe here

I’ve never eaten such superb and tasty tomato sauce as this BBQ wonder. Smoky and a little hot, can be used for bbq chicken, pulled pork, tacos, and burritos; it also goes great with pizza and burgers. You can adjust the flavours to your liking – it can be more tangy or sweet, smoky or hot. You can have it thinner or thicker- just keep it simmered longer on the hob. Homemade BBQ sauce tastes better than a store bought product, and its ingredients are known to you. Fine the recipe here…

This creamy dip is not for those who love super spicy Mexican food. Ancho Crema Cold sauce is a condiment that complements a dish and adds a smoky, earthy, sweet flavour. Ancho Peppers are a heart-shaped variety of dried Pablano Peppers. They are the mildest of chile peppers which grow on the vine longer. They are allowed to turn red and ripe for developing sweetness and then are dried. Find the recipe for the dip here.

I like to keep it simple: a ripe avocado mixed with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. But you can add whatever you like: hot peppers such as jalapeño or serrano, finely chopped onion, coriander and tomatoes. The secret of good guacamole is a perfectly ripe avocado smashed with the fork or pestle in the mortar. It's best eaten right after being prepared because the avocado oxidizes and turns brown. Guacamole can be prepared in advance but must be refrigerated in an airtight container, sprinkled with lemon juice, and covered with a piece of plastic wrap. Find the recipe here

This is a type of relish-like salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. A simple combination of fresh tomatoes and onion, serrano or jalapeno chilli peppers, lime juice and coriander, generously seasoned with salt, is also called salsa fresca, salsa Mexicana or salsa cruda. You can enjoy Pico de Gallo with tortilla crisps, Totopos, tacos or quesadilla. Make it a few hours in advance to let all-natural juices combine and marinate together, providing the salsa with more flavour.  For those who can’t stand fresh coriander - use parsley instead. Find the recipe here...

This cold sauce is perfect for fish, seafood cakes, cold cuts and sandwiches. It consists of mayonnaise, cream, and mustard combined with pickles and flavoured with powder curry. Remoulade, which originates in French cuisine, is a little bit similar to Tartare Sauce, has a thick, creamy consistency, and finely chopped gherkins and capers add sharp and savoury flavour. The condiment goes well with French fries or baked potatoes. Find the recipe here

This smooth and creamy dip of vivid green colour pairs well with a variety of dippers such as tortilla crisps, crackers or crudités. It’s not at all like the chunky guacamole most people love. It’s excellent as a salad dressing for fresh lettuce, spread for sandwiches and toast, or dolloping onto nachos, burritos, quesadillas and tacos. The avocado dip is simple to make, with just a few ingredients and the aid of a food processor; it only requires very ripe avocados. You can spice the dip up by adding, e.g. cayenne pepper, chilli pepper or chipotle paste, finely chopped spring onion or coriander. Find the recipe here...

This cranberry sauce is sweet and tart, packed with festive flavours - orange, cinnamon and ginger. It's a perfect condiment or a side dish served with cheese, meat such as chicken, goose, duck. It's also a must to top off Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. The cranberry sauce is very easy to cook at home and can be made of frozen or fresh fruits however, cranberries are in season so can be easily found at grocery shops at the moment. I prefer my sauce smooth which is actually a cranberry relish. Find the recipe here...

I've chosen Picota cherries to make this delicious sauce. They are sweet, firm and have the unique flavour that comes from their stones and easily blends with red dry wine and spices – cinnamon, clove and lemon grass. The sauce is reasonably sweet but very aromatic and the combination of these ingredients makes it very elegant.  It’s great served with chocolate cakes and panna cotta, perfect as a topping over cream or vanilla homemade ice cream, for any fancy dessert you may think of.  One of my favourite things to make with Picota cherries lately. Find the recipe here…

Homemade Mayonnaise can’t be compared to any jarred stuff. Store-bought condiment usually lists many ingredients such as colouring, sugar or glucose-fructose syrup while real mayonnaise calls only for egg yolks, oil, vinegar or lemon juice, mustard and seasoning. That’s it! The whole process may look a bit fussy and overly complicated but requires, in fact, a bit of patience, a cook’s strong arm and the ingredients at room temperature. Real homemade mayonnaise is delicious!  It contains natural flavours of its ingredients and can be served as a fancy dip with shrimps or vegetables and even with fries. Once you make it yourself, you will never come back to shop-bought mayonnaise. Find the recipe here…

We can’t imagine wintertime without homemade tomato passata. It forms the base of many delicious recipes, can be turned into comforting soups or pasta sauces. Tomatoes are in season now – sweet and fragrant, so this is the best time to capture them and close in bottles. The best passata is made from San Marzano tomatoes (obviously!) which come from the Campania region in Italy but they are quite expensive and difficult to spot. Ripe red Plum and Roma tomatoes are good as well as Polish tomatoes which are low in water content and rich in flavour. Making tomato passata at home takes a lot of effort and time but it’s definitely worth because its flavour can’t be compared to any store-bought puree. Find the recipe here…