Chile

Our appreciation of peri-peri prawns comes from Mozambique, where these shellfish are cooked in the traditional Portuguese style.

(Narial Chutney) Editor's note: These instructions are excerpted from Julie Sahni's book Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. Sahni also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. This is the most popular relish of South India. Although its flavor will vary from state to state, it consists essentially of freshly grated coconut and mustard seeds. The mustard seeds are sizzled in hot oil and folded into the coconut. Some Indians flavor the relish with ground roasted yellow split peas (bhona channa dal ka ataa); others with tomato. But the most refreshing and fragrant is the Malayali version from Kerala, which adds chopped fresh coriander. This herb also tints the relish a very appealing pale green color. Coconut relish generally accompanies southern delicacies. Serve it with Foamy White Steamed Rice and Bean Dumplings and with southern or southwestern vegetarian meals that are characteristically flavored with black mustard seeds.

Traditionally, escabeche refers to fish marinated in a spicy sauce. Here, mushrooms stand in for the fish with delicious results.

A slightly firm, mellow triple-crème, Mt. Tam cheese softens into this stew but doesn't melt. We like to add a little extra Sherry just before serving.

Saturday snack. From Golden Door in Escondido, California. Adapted from The Golden Door Cooks Light & Easy (Gibbs-Smith), out in May, this dip sheds calories by subbing asparagus for some avocado.

When you crave something hot and filling, a bowl of this chili will do the trick.

You can stuff five or six healthy vegetables into salsa (tomatoes, peppers, scallions, garlic, corn, whatever else is left in the crisper bin) then use that salsa five or six different ways (on fish, on chicken, in a burrito or, of course, on a delicious corn chip. You can make salsa in minutes. It keeps forever. It is the antidote to any of your vegetable woes!

Scott Uehlein, executive chef at the renowned Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona, provides an easy technique for a dish that is good enough to eat every day — you can't even tell it's good for you!

Eat healthfully (and still have steak) A lowfat diet can include beef. In fact, because red meat is loaded with iron and folate, it's especially good for women, and the sirloin used here is one of the leanest cuts. Chef Tom Colicchio pan-roasts it with almost no added oil at Craft, his new restaurant in New York City. And instead of teaming it with a fat bomb like butter-laden mashed potatoes, he has a better option: zingy corn relish. It has vitamin A and several Bs, plus a crunch so mouth pleasing, you'll never miss the fat.

Cumin and time over the coals give these hearty thick-cut pork chops deep flavor. A spicy-sweet tropical salsa made with fresh pineapple balances the dish.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort. Back in the 1800s, trail driving cowboys — some of the world's foremost experts at putting whatever was at hand to good use — made the first red-eye gravy by swirling some coffee, mixed with a little flour, in a skillet full of juices from pan-fried steaks. This concoction, along with pinto beans and Dutch oven biscuits, filled many a belly between Texas and the stockyards in Kansas City. Today, most of us are punching clocks instead of cattle, but a sizzling steak with red-eye gravy can still be mighty tasty. The dry rub for the steaks, made with ground coffee beans, doesn't taste anything like it sounds. Give it a try, lest folks take you for a complete greenhorn, podnah.

Grilling a whole chicken cuts down on prep time and makes for a dramatic presentation. A purée made from fresh herbs, garlic, and chile spread under the skin of the bird keeps the meat moist.

If you like curries, you'll love this recipe. The sauce is rich with coconut flavor and redolent with spice. Don't be alarmed by the number of red chiles — these are mild.

Kerabu Bok Kwa This fresh, zesty salad cuts through the richness of the heavier main courses. Sambal belacan is a classic Nonya dressing. We've reduced the amount from what would traditionally be used because belacan (shrimp paste) can be rather strong for those who aren't used to it. The paste has a salty fish taste and pungent smell (the odor dissipates once it's added to the dish), but it lends a dimension of flavor very characteristic of Nonya cuisine — were you to eliminate it, you wouldn't really be eating Nonya food. For a more authentic version, use 2 tablespoons belacan and 4 tablespoons lime juice.

Pa-O Long Beans Finding long beans is worth the effort — the high heat of the wok is just too much for green beans, which aren't as hearty.

Dipped in peanut sauce, these beef satés are flavor bombs on a stick. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients — we promise you won't be disappointed if you make the sauce from scratch. (It's so much fresher and more complex than any bottled product you may have used in the past.) The meat can be marinated and the sauce prepared ahead, so you just need to grill the satés before serving.

Its firm flesh and assertive taste make arctic char a great choice for the grill. The ground chipotle in the quick marinade gives the fish a hint of smoky heat.