Chile

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of chicken (skin-on thighs, legs, or wings) or pork (chops, loin, or boneless shoulder)

The longer the tequila is infused with the chiles, the hotter it gets.

Using a combination of red, white, and yellow carrots will make this slaw even more striking.

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of pork (tenderloin or chops) or fish (oily or white-fleshed; shrimp or scallops).

Perfect with Tri-Tip, this rub from Sue Torres, chef at Sueños in New York City, will give smoky flavor to any steak.

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of pork (tenderloin, shoulder, or bone-in chops) or fish (firm, white-fleshed fish such as sea bass; shrimp or scallops)

Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories.

Anything grilled could be described as smoky, but our cover burger is a multi layered masterpiece thanks to chipotle chiles mingled with adobo, smoked paprika, and bacon. Seared avocado makes it almost too good to be true.

Briny-sweet crab and piquant chiles shine on subtly flavored white bread.

Skewering and grilling whole garlic cloves gives this vibrant sauce its smoky sweetness. Make the salsa as chunky or as smooth as you like.

We modeled this simple frozen dessert on a favorite paleta, or Mexican ice pop. You won't need an ice cream maker, but do plan ahead so that you have time to purée the ice in a processor three separate times for the smoothest texture.

Canned chipotles, along with tomatillos and onions charred under the broiler, give this salsa its smoky undertones.

If you've got a handful of eggs in your fridge, you're halfway to making one of our favorite weeknight dishes, the versatile frittata. We like the earthy combination of peppers and mushrooms, though any combination of sautéed vegetables, herbs, and cheese will work.

Fresh and piquant, this crowd-pleaser is a classic.

You will definitely surprise yourself with this one. It is an extremely delicious dish that's quick and straightforward to make, but looks as if it's been prepared at a top Chinese restaurant. It is fiery, both from the chiles and the black pepper; you can moderate this by reducing their quantity a little. However, the whole point is spiciness so don't go too far.

I love a good corn muffin, and nobody makes one better than Loic Feillet of Panorama Baking in Alexandria, Virginia. The muffin is so good, in fact—moist and studded with chewy little bits of corn—that as soon as I tasted it, I knew I’d incorporate it into an egg dish. The muffin reminded me of an artisanal English muffin, and I just happened to be working on a Mexican variation of eggs Benedict. How perfect! The corn muffin would replace the traditional corn tortilla in huevos rancheros, and I’d poach instead of fry the eggs. Immediately, I had a dish worthy of the muffin, but best of all, even a lesser muffin tastes great when capped off with these ingredients.

Even though this version of hot wings is healthier than the classic—which is deep-fried and tossed in lots of butter and hot sauce—it's every bit as tasty.

The beauty and subtlety of wild garlic makes this dish very appealing, and fresh curry leaves add a fragrance that is quite seductive. During the summer months we pod fresh coco beans and cook them directly in the curry until soft. In winter we soak dried cannellini beans overnight and precook them in water for an hour or so over gentle heat, with one or two herbs added for flavor. I like to serve this curry just as it is, but you could add chunks of white fish to it.