Latin American

Ají ecuatorianoají ecuatoriano Served on the table as an accompaniment to soups, this fresh sauce gets its tart, vibrant flavor from the tamarillo (tree tomato), native to South America. A small red tomato can be substituted.

Tired of chili con carne? This warming pozole-inspired stew is a welcome departure. Its spiciness depends on the heat of the jalapeños you use.

Locro de papas This traditional Andean soup, warm with potatoes, milk, and cheese and bright with cumin and avocado, may be the ultimate comfort food.

Encebollado de pescado This hearty stew combines simplicity with deep, distinct flavors.

For a vegetarian version, substitute Soyrizo for the chorizo.

Broiling tomatoes and onions concentrates their flavor in this spicy salsa that's good any time of the year.

This is a soft-style version of chilaquiles, tortilla chips sautéed with chiles and meat and topped with melted cheese. Crema mexicana, a cultured Mexican cream, is available in the cheese and deli section of many supermarkets and at Latin markets.

These delicious ravioli come from the hot Buenos Aires restaurant Social Paraiso. Freezing the Brie for 20 minutes will make trimming the rind easier.

A classic Christmas bread from one of Buenos Aires's most famous bakeries, Las Violetas.

This comforting side would also be great for brunch.

According to lore, the original mole was served with turkey that had been fattened with hazelnuts. In this variation, which doesn't include chocolate, hazelnuts are featured in the sauce.

What to drink: Roberto Santibañez recommends a Petite Sirah (a full-bodied, peppery red wine varietal) from L.A. Cetto in Mexico's Guadelupe Valley. Or try the Guenoc Petite Sirah from California's North Coast.

This type of pan de muertos is made for the celebration of the Days of the Dead, November 1 and 2, when families honor their dead by setting up a colorful altar in the house and preparing special foods to put on it and take to the graveside. While this custom has its roots in pre-Columbian central Mexico, it has become popular even in the north (though a friend from Sonora says that her mother considered it very bizarre). This semisweet yeast bread enriched with egg yolks and other similar breads are circular in form, transversed with "bones," and topped with a "skull." The same dough is used for the rosca de reyes, made for the celebrations for Twelfth Night, January 6. Don't try to hurry the dough along; the flavor will develop better with slow rising. I certainly advise an electric mixer with dough hook for this type of dough, which is rather messy to handle.

In January, we published a classic mole poblano that takes 3 1/2 hours to make — but a respectable version of the revered dish can also be had in much less time.

Reducing a mixture of coconut liquid, cream, and sugar on the stovetop creates a wonderfully creamy filling, almost like a dulce de leche. Handfuls of fresh shredded coconut give the tarts a tropical flavor, accented beautifully by the fruitiness of prickly pears.