Latin American

These "cakes" are really festive cookies.

"When a friend celebrated her birthday at El Teddy's in New York City's TriBeCa, I really enjoyed trying the innovative dishes there," says Thea DeSando of New York, New York. "But the one thing I couldn't get enough of was the salsa—smoky and full of tomato flavor. Is there any way you can get the recipe?"

Chiles Rellenos con Huevos y Tocino con Salsa de Queso Chihuahua Translated, Las Ventanas al Paraíso means "Windows to Paradise." With an ocean view from nearly every room, four infinity pools that seem to stretch to the sea, and a personal escort to your room (no front desk), the name is no exaggeration. The peacefulness is a sharp contrast to the bustle of Los Cabos, just outside the property's doors. If you can bear to venture outside your beautiful room, try the resort's two restaurants — the Sea Grill, where you'll find contemporary Mexican offerings like this breakfast version of chiles rellenos, and The Restaurant, which uses local ingredients to create delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

Ana Garcia of Cuernavaca, Mexico, writes: "My great-grandmother, Josefina, was a highly regarded butcher, and she taught me the communal style of cooking that Mexico is known for. That's one of the reasons I opened my own cooking school, La Villa Bonita — to show others how authentic Mexican cuisine is prepared, as opposed to the usual tacos, burritos, and Tex-Mex dishes." My husband, Robb, and I also run our own restaurant, Reposado. He insisted that we open the place because he thought my recipes deserved a wider audience. At the restaurant I like to experiment — the menu at Reposado is nouvelle Mexican — but at my cooking school I feature more traditional recipes. Working at both places gives me the chance to show off both cooking styles. When beets are cooked as they are in this recipe, they turn a bright fuchsia color. Wear disposable plastic gloves when working with beets. Puree only one or two cups of hot soup at a time, holding the top of the blender firmly to keep it from flying off.

Mexican food is usually high in calories; this lean dish is authentic but light.

Serve as a side dish with enchiladas. The beans can be topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese, then covered to melt.

The texture of this spicy Brazilian dish falls in between a soup and a stew. Cook it down if you prefer it thicker.

Serve this citrus-marinated steak with white rice and pinto beans tossed with butter and a marinated cabbage salad for an authentic Central American meal.

As in many Mexican recipe names, there is a playful personification at work here: The eggs are "separated" by their salsas—one is topped with fiery red, the other with jealous green.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a new take on calabacitas, a traditional Mexican side dish with zucchini, onions and peppers.

Sopaipillas are crisp fried breads traditionally topped with honey; cinnamon and sugar are sometimes added to make a great dessert. In this recipe, fried tortillas approximate the texture of true sopaipillas.

(Chile Verde Con Carne or "Caldillo")

Throughout the Spanish-speaking world, thickened sweetened milk is a regular feature at dessert time (and, like all treats, whenever Mom isn’t looking). Though not difficult to make from scratch on top of the stove, the use of condensed milk eliminates the need for constant stirring. Be sure to check the water level in the pan about halfway through cooking; if it’s low, carefully add a little more.

Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture. These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.