Latin American

When buying the dried chile for this recipe, be aware that a pasilla de Oaxaca is not the same as a regular pasilla chile. The former is smoked and has a very distinct flavor.

Traditionally, the tortillas are fried in oil until soft. We've omitted the oil by wrapping the tortillas in damp paper towels and heating them in the microwave. Serve the enchiladas with the Ranch Beans and Mexican rice with tomatoes and onions.

This dish is a twist on chilaquiles, a tortilla-based hash. It's great served with salsa for breakfast.

This recipe for chiles en macedonia combines ingredients from three states—Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan. It came from the late Juan Diego Michel, who taught in Billy Cross's schools in Napa Valley and PuertoVallarta. The dish was a favorite of the Michel family in Jalisco, where, in his younger days, Juan Diego had his own restaurant and used the recipes from 200 years ago that had been passed down to him. To Cross, he was a Mexican-cooking mentor.

The recado is a dry rub that gives a burst of flavor to almost any meat or vegetable but is particularly wonderful on beef and corn.

Fried green plantains. When making tostones look for unripe plantains that are a deep shade of green: The recipe will not work with ripe plantains. Ideally, the plantains should be fried the day they are purchased, but they can be kept, wrapped well in a plastic bag and chilled, for 2 to 3 days.

Almond "Pound Cake" Panque is apparently a phonetic spelling of "pound cake," though it really isn't very similar. The texture is somewhat more like a sponge cake. My recipe is an adaption of one by Mària Concepción Portillo de Carballido.

Serve this terrific dish with crusty bread and soup spoons so that your guests can enjoy every last drop.

Causa Limena Editor's Note: This recipe and introductory text are excerpted from The Exotic Kitchens of Peru, by Copeland Marks. We've also added some tips of our own below. For a complete guide to Peruvian cuisine, click here. This appetizer, a popular national dish, is from Lima, the capital city of Peru, which has metropolitan and modern ideas. The dictionary does not reveal how the word "causa” came to be applied to a concoction, albeit a delicious one, that features cold mashed potatoes. A causa is considered a light lunch or snack, a most appealing dish that is often served at weddings or other celebrations.

Chuletas de Pollo al Limón I first tasted this light but winning dish at La Troje restaurant in Orizaba. As you doubtless know by now, soy and Maggi sauce are as Mexican as chutney is English. Serve with pilaf-style white rice.

Make these a day ahead to give the caramel time to soften and the custards time to set.