Blender

Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is the tart liquid found in the center of young coconuts.

Fresh mint and lime juice add a bright finish to this drink.

Frozen açai puree is available in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

Fresh ginger gives this a zesty kick.

You'll use some of the dressing for the grilled chicken and the rest for the noodle salad .

If black cod isn't available, a firm white fish, such as halibut or barramundi, would also work well.

Thai red curry paste and unsweetened coconut milk are sold in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets. Be sure what you're buying is coconut milk, not sweetened cream of coconut, which is used for cocktails.

Sara adds a spoonful of bee pollen granules to this flowery smoothie, which she thinks turns it over-the-top sublime. Bee pollen is a storehouse of all naturally occurring multivitamins, proteins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and hormones. Mary, however, is not wild about bee pollen's sweet-but-raw earthiness and chalky texture. With or without a dash of pollen, the BEE-ootiful combination of jasmine and pure raw honey calls to mind the rare deliciousness of wild honeysuckle. Remember, the floral splendor of this smoothie lies in the quality of honey that you use. If you prefer a fruitier flavor, mango-peach tea works well, too. Feel free to use frozen peaches as a substitute when fresh peaches are out of season.

Trust us, this combination is super-clean and green, refreshing and yummy. The alkalinizing fresh pineapple pairs beautifully with the spice of the arugula/rocket. And macadamia nuts are a high-energy food that adds a crunchy rich texture and a healthy dose of protein and fiber (we don't mind at all if they do not fully incorporate) as well as monounsaturated fatty acids—or "good" fat—that significantly reduce blood serum cholesterol levels. Think of this smoothie as a cleansing, satisfying meal replacement. Get to know chia seeds. These miraculous little seeds are a form of easily digestible protein that is full of minerals, vitamins, and soluble fiber. Rich in omega fatty acids, and similar to flaxseed, chia seeds have the significant advantage of being more stable.

Kathy Casey is one of Seattle's most talented chefs, and this cucumber sake-tini was inspired by her specialty drink, the Katana. We warn you that this martini is absolutely lethal, because the cooling cucumber masks the potency of the gin. The sake adds a little "je ne sais quoi" and the mint heightens the overall floral bouquet. The result is a drink that it is soooooooooo sippable that it's hard to stop. Due to popular demand, we often serve this at our Southern supper club.

Sweet potato curry puffs are a popular Singaporean street food. Slather this luscious curry-spiked sweet potato purée on warm whole-grain paratha bread if you can find it. If not, use whole-grain pita bread instead.

This is a light and very easy vinaigrette. I recommend serving it with any salad on which you'd like to use a flavorful but light dressing.

It's not only nostalgia that makes me love arepas; it's also their versatility! These corncakes are hugely popular in many forms in my native Colombia and neighboring Venezuela (among other places) and have now actually caught on in many parts of the United States. What makes them especially wonderful is that they offer cooks fabulous flexibility as far as preparation. So here I'm giving you my basic recipe—and a serving suggestion—but please know you can add whatever you'd like (grilled corn, diced peppers, different cheeses, just to name a few possibilities). Here I'm suggesting that you smear a bit of farmer's cheese—or Mexican queso blanco—on top. Great as an appetizer, these arepas are perfect with any cocktail!

This salsa is great with tortilla chips. The only problem is that it quickly becomes habit-forming—you just can't stop eating it. We serve a bowl of this salsa and a basket of warm tortilla chips to every table in our restaurant, and people always ask for more. I have even seen customers eating it with a spoon, like soup. It goes with everything, from breakfast to dinner, and it accompanies every meal at Los Barrios. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to 2 months.

This recipe yields puffy, golden pancakes with minimal effort because they’re baked rather than cooked on top of the stove. Lemon cuts the sweetness of these pancakes and imparts its fresh, citrusy flavor. Serve with Venison Sausages (page 185).

You'll love this colorful, summery salad. The benefits can't be beat: Antioxidants in many orange veggies may lower your cardiovascular disease risk by up to 20 percent.

Soon after the invention of the home blender, the machines were whirring about turning out all manner of cocktails including a raft of fruit-infused daiquiris. It might seem that strawberries are not Caribbean fruit, but anyone who has traveled to Haiti knows that in Kenskoff in the hills above Port-au-Prince and Petionville, the climate is cool enough to support strawberries and they grow there—small, sweet, and delicious.

This soup is good and velvety on its own, but the chile butter adds a luxurious crowning touch.

Lots of Tex-Mex restaurants use bottled mole pastes from Mexico such as Doña Maria brand. Tricks of the trade include reconstituting the paste with chicken broth instead of water and boosting the flavor with peanut butter. Here's a simple homemade mole that tastes even better than the bottled paste.