Blender

In Chalcatongo, Jiménez purchases pit-roasted lamb, then warms up the meat in a simple tomatillo sauce rich with the earthy zing of costeño rojo chiles. On this side of the border, you'll have to cook your meat first, but our adaptation (we slow-roast it) couldn't be easier.

Though you may not be familiar with the name, chilaquiles are the forebears of modern nachos. But the abundance of fresh, flavorful toppings—cool cilantro, salty queso fresco, crisp red onion—makes even the most fluorescent "nacho cheese" seem colorless.

Even the gastronomic wizard who invented this recipe calls the name gimmicky, but who cares? The clever technique of using both a seltzer charge and a cream charge gives you a foamy, snow-white dessert with an almost ethereal lightness.

In this dessert from Cafe Paradiso, pink peppercorns give the meringues a subtle floral flavor.

Wear gloves when working with chiles.

Turkey is native to Mexico; it was a staple in the Mayan diet. I first sampled pavo en sac kol at Los Almendros in Mérida. This recipe was inspired by Rick Bayless.

Tradition calls for achiote-scented cochinita pibil to be roasted underground in a pit called a pib. Indirect grilling produces a terrific pibil, and because Yucatecans don't prize the flavor of wood smoke for this dish, a gas grill is ideal. The meat needs to marinate four hours.

This light spring recipe, from chef Daniel Patterson of San Francisco's Coi, is a great way to use the buttermilk left over after making Patterson's homemade butter . Strips of yuba are simmered in the buttermilk and then topped with a bright-green sauce of fresh peas, basil, and fava leaves. Yuba, also called tofu skin, is made by heating soy milk until a skin forms on the surface. Here, strips of tender, slightly chewy yuba stand in for pasta. (See the Test-Kitchen Tips, below, for more information on ingredients and substitutions.)

The secret to making this dish so stunningly delicious is duck fat. Puréeing the sauce emulsifies the fat, which, along with the moist duck meat, adds an irreplaceable element of richness.

Ramps, or wild leeks, are celebrated as a sign of spring in Appalachia. This creamy soup captures the briefly flourishing vegetable's essence: Cooking the oniony bupounds brings out their sweetness, and bright green stems lend a cheerful color.

Savor healthy sweets

This exotically spiced soup has an incredibly velvety texture.

Gremolata (a classic Italian garnish made from lemon peel, parsley, and garlic) gets a new twist here with the addition of tarragon.

Surf-and-turf like you've never had before—whole fried trout topped with crisp pieces of sweet and spicy pork. For a traditional Thai dinner, serve the mains and sides family-style with a large bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

A decadent—but still healthy—vegetarian main.